One Summer Night
by GreenCyberWolf
Summary: Nami loves Luffy, Sanji loves Nami, Vivi loves Sanji. In one night how can this twisted triangle straighten out? Maybe with the help of an interfering trickster. Rated T for language. Much AU - LuNa/ZoRo
1. Prologue

Okay before anyone gets excited, this is only the prologue. I'm still in the process of writing it and wont be ready to post anytime soon, unfortunately. Call me selfish and impaitent but I just couldnt wait to start this one. I'll have it finished and ready to go as soon as I can. Now I've seen a lot of copy-cat stories on this site. As in fics copying movies mostly, and about half of those are Disney, and I'll take nothing away from that man. Walt is one of the best story tellers of this century, however, I think there might be someone even better (or at least equal) in storytelling prowess. I am talking about The Bard himself, William Shakespeare.

And don't groan. I know you guys in high school just did that.

Trust me this isnt written in a thee, thou, and hither kinda language. With some great help from No Fear Shakespeare I was able to translate one of his greatest plays into actual understandable english. Fortunately or unfortunately I can't and won't make too many changes to characters or story lest I absolutly ruin a masterpiece. I think I'm pressing my luck already going after both Aesop and Shakespeare at the same time. Oh well, we'll see how it goes from here, eh?

Disclaimer: Dont own One Piece/ Shakespeare

**One Summer Night**  
><strong>Prologue<strong>

The Strawhat crew had been docked on an uninhabited island in the New World for about a day now. From what Nami and Robin were told, the log pose would set pretty quickly, and they would be able to continue their journey sometime the next day. The island had a very nice Summer climate, with temperate weather, and also no signs of huge monsters out to eat them. It was once a home to some civilization though, as evidenced by the abandoned city Robin had found earlier. It was nothing more than vine encrusted cobbled streets and white, stone, columns. Even an old temple, of sorts, still stood in the center of the city. The same stone pillars encircled the run down building to help support what remained of the roof.

According to the blue eyed archeologist this island was home to a very cultured society. It seemed fairly closely related to their own, as opposed to other ancient peoples she had studied. Robin had shared with the crew that this, in particular, was one that was more interested in art and learning than warfare. They had a complex law system and were advanced in their governing mindset. There was a very deep history in which they invested greatly and also a deep belief in the magical world. However, the only crew member who seemed halfway interested in this information was Nami.

While the rest of the crew was out exploring the island further, Robin had been looking forward to learning all she could about the city and its people. She would probably investigate the rest of the island further in the time before the log pose set the next day.

"It was really cool, Robin. Me and Nami found this great place today." Luffy was telling the ebony haired historian as the Strawhat crew sat around the table, finishing their dinner. He had already finished eating his share way before the others, as usual.

Ussop was regaling Chopper with one of his many extraordinary adventures from when he sailed around the world when he was 5. Or that's what it sounded like since no one really paid attention to Ussop's stories except for the ever gullible doctor and captain. Franky was in a chugging competition with Zoro. One had cola and the other had his beer. Sanji was in the kitchen, already started on the cleanup, and also keeping an eye out for anything his ladies might need. Brook was 'Yohohoing' to himself, half listening to Chopper's oohs and aahs and tuning his violin. Nami was reading the latest newspaper with a small, content, smile on her face. She was also secretly listening to her captain happily relive the little adventure they had gone on that afternoon.

Luffy continued on in the retelling of his and Nami's exploration. "Yep, I talked Nami into coming with me and we found this really cool looking fountain in the middle of the forest. The water was all glistening and it tasted good too, Nami said we shouldn't drink it, but we did anyway. It was so huuuuge." He stretched his arms out to either side of the room to show just how big the fountain had been.

"Is that so, Captain-san." Robin smiled gently at the excited strawhat captain as she sipped some tea. Even after their two year separation he still acted like a hyper kid whenever something new popped up. She turned to glance over at the ship's navigator to see the younger woman blush lightly at whatever memory the two had shared. Robin knew she had been listening.

Suddenly from the kitchen came the noise of a pot thumping down harder than usual on the countertop. It caught everyone's attention and all eyes turned to Sanji. The blonde chef was scowling, if not outright glaring, at the raven haired captain.

"Eh? Swirly-cook, what crawled into your apron?" Zoro growled in irritation, voicing everyone's thoughts, just more rudely.

Sanji ignored everyone else and focused his attention on Luffy. "Why do you keep bothering my lovely Nami-swan, you crap captain? Why is it that not even I could accompany my beautiful angel today and yet you dragged her away from her important map making to look at some stupid fountain?" The cook wasn't blind, he knew how much time Luffy and Nami were spending together lately, and it irked the hell out of him. Sanji had no proof anything was going on but he knew his way around that business all too well to be fooled for long. "My sweet flower shouldn't have to waste her valuable time hanging around with rubber idiots like you all day long. She has more important things to do than be dragged around on your half-assed adventures."

Everyone kept their eyes on the cook as he slowly made his way from the kitchen to the dining room. Maybe that's why no one noticed Nami's expression go from wide eyed surprise to an irritated anger. Luffy, on the other hand, kept his blank look. He acted as if he didn't quite understand why his crewmate was angry. Only the very perceptive could see the tensing of the captain's muscles under his shirt or the way he straightened up in his chair.

"What do you mean yours?" Luffy asked in a low voice, his hat shadowing his eyes. It had only been a matter of time before it came to this. He didn't like fighting with his nakama but he had been struggling to ignore Sanji's clear advances towards Nami the last few days. It was fine, at first, the cook was always like that anyway. And, he and Nami had agreed to keep it quiet for a while. However, Sanji had been more persistent than usual lately, almost like he knew he was losing her. "Whoever said Nami was yours? She doesn't belong to you."

The rest of the crew watched with apprehensive expressions. One or two times one of them would open their mouths to say something to try and break the heavy atmosphere but no words would come. Nami's eyes flicked back and forth between the two males as they stared each other down.

Luffy placed his hands on the table and pushed himself up into a standing position. "I didn't force Nami to do anything today. We went out and had fun. As for me bothering her all the time. I don't think I'm any worse than you hanging all over her 24/7."

"Bahhaha! He sure got ya there, love-cook." Zoro howled, nearly falling onto Franky in his laughter. Robin only watched with a slight smirk gracing her features. The rest of the crew were astonished that Luffy picked up on and used that kind of thing against Sanji. Nami was definitely one of the ones not surprised.

"That is enough, Sanji." Nami interrupted before Sanji could retort or Luffy could continue. The navigator intentionally left off the 'kun' from his name to show how serious she was. Both men turned toward her. Sanji with his visible eye widened and Luffy was back to his blank expression. She had learned long ago with Luffy, that look didn't necessarily mean he wasn't thinking anything. _'Geez, how did such a great day come to this?'_

Suddenly Luffy lowered his gaze and turned away from everyone. He took a deep breath, as if to say something, but seemed to think better of it and instead heatedly walked out of the room. Nami and the rest watched the captain leave before turning glares to the blonde chef.

Sanji, for his part, kept his gaze lowered.

Nami waited no more than a minute in the silence left behind by the cook's and captain's confrontation before following after Luffy with her own glare directed at her fellow crewmate. Once the door closed behind her she leaned against it and took a deep calming breath of the warm nighttime summer air.

Luffy was already out of sight but Nami had a strong feeling where she could find him. Pushing off the galley door, she silently walked down the stairs and over towards the main mast. In any other situation she would be headed for the lion figurehead of Sunny but unknown to almost everyone else, Luffy had developed the habit of shooting himself to the roof of the crow's nest when he wanted to think, or when he was particularly angry or sad about something. There was no way anyone would bother him up there.

'_Damn, Sanji, I knew I should've put a stop to all his crap a lot sooner. I just never expected it to end up like this. Luffy's been holding it back for a while, I could tell, but I didn't do anything about it.' _Nami frowned at herself as she climbed the ladder and slipped inside the circular room that made up Zoro's training area and crow's nest. She left the lights off and walked to one of the open windows, leaning on the edge, and looking out.

On the deck below there was movement and the navigator glanced down to see the rest of the crew exit the dining room and head for their beds. Sanji wasn't among them. Zoro looked up and with a nod to her, abandoned his usual sleeping place to take a bunk in the guy's room. Nami placed her elbow on the edge of the window and rested her chin in her hand. She looked out at the dark island, not bothering to strain to see who she was talking to.

"Luffy." There was no answer. "Luffy, I know you're up there. Please come talk to me."

After a minute, some shuffling noise answered her and a small smile tugged at Nami's lips. She didn't back away from the window as a pair of legs swung into her view, followed by the yellow sash and scarred chest, and then the softly frowning face of her captain. He climbed in through the window next to her but still hadn't said anything. Luffy moved over to the couch on the other side of the small room and sat down. Nami sighed, taking one last look out at the island, and turned to join him on the couch.

Meanwhile, far above the center of the island, one of the brightly shining stars seemed to have gone crazy. First it zoomed to the left and then changed its mind and flew back right. All the while the glowing object grew bigger and bigger looking to approach the island from the sky. It circled the island once, then twice, and finally seemed to hover over the Thousand Sunny. The brightness of the thing faded when it reached several yards above the pirate flag that was fluttering in the slight breeze.

What appeared out of the bright star shine is something you'd have to see to believe. A person stepped out of the glowing light and onto the solid roof of the crow's nest. Or what appeared to be a person. The two pirates talking below didn't even notice the presence that had suddenly come aboard. He was clothed in green material that wasn't recognizable to any tailor of this very small world. The lithe man leaned over the side of the roof, unseen by either captain or navigator, and grinned craftily. His dark black eyes shone with all the mischievousness of the most talented prankster. Sitting back up on the roof, his sly grin never faded, even once.

"My, my, my. What does this fair Puck spy with his little fairy eye? Could it be a pair of vexed lovers?" He leaned back over the side of the roof to catch another glimpse of the young man and woman sitting below him. "I believe it may." He rolled off the roof to float nonchalantly outside the window of the crow's nest, watching the two with clear amusement.

Nami was speaking with Luffy, trying to lift his spirits after Sanji's little tirade. Neither of them knew they were being watched or, in fact, that the observer was floating just outside the window. "Luffy, believe me, I'd rather prefer it if you didn't act like him. I don't need all your attention or devotion or any of that crap. I know you love me even without all that. There's no way I'd get together with Sanji."

"Hoo-hoo, so these little humans are having some troubles, then. And if the information crafty Puck does know is right. These be the same mortals that had some sport and fun in Lord Oberon's fountain this very day." The trickster fairy's grin became even wider at that fact.

All three pairs of eyes turned abruptly to the sound of a door opening and closing on the deck below them. Puck was hanging upside down as he watched a young, blonde, man stride across the ship's deck. Sanji spared a glance up at the figurehead, frowned in confusion, but then shrugged like it didn't matter and continued inside the boy's bunk room.

Luffy made a harsh sound and that brought the fairy's attention back to the pair that had held his interest at the start. The young man wore a small frown and the orange haired woman at his side didn't look happy either.

"I don't want to be mad at Sanji. He's my nakama." Luffy was saying as Puck listened in once more. The Strawhat captain sighed wearily and slumped into the shoulder of his navigator. "I don't want to go down there and then Sanji tries to start something again. I don't like fighting my friends. I think I'll stay up here tonight and take watch."

Nami smiled softly down at the young man resting his head on her shoulder. She knew Luffy wouldn't last five minutes staying awake tonight. Yet, she could understand why he didn't want to return to the boy's room. So, the navigator only nodded, laying her head against the top of his. Her warm cheek resting in his wild black hair. "Alright Luffy, I think I'll stay with you then." She felt the squeeze of his sea worn hands on her own smooth skin and knew without words, he was grateful.

"Would you tell me a story?" Luffy yawned, already his eyes were getting heavy. It was just so comfortable sitting here with Nami by his side. "Whenever I was angry or sad back in Fuchsia, Makino would tell me a bedtime story."

"Um… well, I don't think I know any bedtime stories, Luffy." Nami reluctantly muttered into the young man's hair. She felt his body droop that much more and mentally resolved to memorize every fairytale she could lay her hands on at the next port. If it would help him she would look through every book on the island if she had to.

Outside the crow's nest window, unbothered by watching the sweet and sentimental moment, floated the invisible form of Puck. The fairy cocked his head in wonderment at the actions of the humans in front of him. With a flick of his fingers, Luffy's eyes finally slid closed, and his grip loosened on Nami's hand. "What a pathetic looking fellow. Hoo-hoo, don't worry young mortal. This gracious trickster knows a story just for you and your faithful lady."

The orange haired navigator felt her captain slip into sleep, still laying on her shoulder, directly before a great tiredness swept over her as well. _'I can't fall asleep. Someone has to keep watch tonight.'_ Nami yawned, trying to force herself to stay alert. However, even though she thought this, it didn't stop her eyelids from slowly closing. Her head tilted forward into Luffy's raven locks, and despite fighting it, Nami was fast asleep within the next minute.

The fairy, Puck, was watching over the two pirates as he came to rest on the sill of the open window of the crow's nest. Having cast the sleep spell over the whole ship, he wasn't worried about anyone coming to disturb them.

"Slip into sleep and let your minds wander. My story is yours sweet mortals. Faces you once have known will find their places and they will fulfill their role as a player in his troupe. A story for such a night I have for you, fair lovers. Once upon a midsummer night True Love is both lost and found again. And by sweet morning's light we shall see how this will end."

=0=0=

Let me know what you think. I'm actually really excited about this fic and have been for a while. So I cant wait to see what you guys have to say on the subject.

Oh, before I forget, here's an important question I need answered. Do you guys want a character list before the story actually starts or do you want to be surprised as you go along? Message or review me so I can do that before the first chapter is ready.


	2. Character List

So… I didn't get as many responses to my important question from the prologue as I'd hoped. To those who did answer, I gratefully offer my thanks. It's so refreshing to know I'm not talking to only a computer screen here. As for the results of my little impromptu poll, surprisingly it was totally split down the middle. But seeing as not very many of you answered in the first place maybe it isn't so surprising.

Half of you guys wanted a character list right off the bat and the other half wanted to be surprised.

What's an author to do…?

Answer: Have a list but provide lots of spoiler space and if you wanna read it then all ya gotta do is scroll down. If not just click the little _next_ button at the top corner of the screen and proceed to Chapter One.

See ya there.

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Alright that should be good…

**Character List**

-One Piece… Shakespeare

_**Young Lovers-**_

-Luffy… Lysander

-Nami… Hermia

-Sanji… Demetrius

-Vivi… Helena

_**Royal Court-**_

-Shanks… Theseus

-Boa Hancock… Hippolyta (can you really blame me for putting her in this part)

-Genzo… Egeus

-Igaram… Philostrate

-Ben Beckem… (original)

_**Fairy Court-**_

-Zoro… Oberon

-Robin… Titania

-Ace… Puck (Robin Goodfellow)

_**Workmen/ Players-**_

-Ussop… Nick Bottom

-Brook… Peter Quince

-Franky… Snug

-Chopper… Francis Flute

-Colby… Robin Starveling

-Hatchi… Tom Snout

_**Extra Fairies-**_

-Kaya… Cobweb

-Kamie… Moth

-Tashigi… Peaseblossom


	3. The Happy Couple

Alrighty, lets get this show on the road, shall we. Unlike some of my previous stories this one doesn't have a specific updating schedule. New chapters are posted whenever I get around to it but hopefully they won't take too long in between. Also I can't stress this enough…Review. Review. Review. I thrive on your comments, even constructive criticism, flames- not so much.

Saying that, I should remind everyone that if the wording seems a bit more formal or if the characters don't fit exactly right, please remember that this is Puck's story being told. With that outta the way, I welcome you to the first chapter of my Shakespeare rip-off of A Mid-Summer Night's Dream.

Dis: You can sue if you want but you won't get anything for your troubles

**Chapter One  
><strong>**The Happy Couple**

The palace grounds were abuzz with activity as couriers and servants hurried this way and that, all with their own important duties to fulfill. There was still much planning to be done if the courtyard and temple were to be ready in time for the duke's wedding in only a few nights. Already the palace gardens looked like someplace out of a fairytale, streamers and decorations hung from the bright sakura trees, and even the rose bushes seemed to bloom fuller in preparation for the celebration. However, the food still had to be prepared and the flowers arranged and so many other little things, so the servants were still being kept busy.

Rushing through all this confusion was a man with long graying hair that was tied back in a ponytail. His clothing was richly colored and finely detailed which told of his higher class. The top three buttons of a dark, silk, shirt were left open. Even through the long sleeves the muscles of his biceps could be seen moving as he swung his arms in a powerful stride. He had a x-shaped scar on his face that took away from his otherwise gentlemanly appearance. This older man was, in fact, the duke's right hand general and a very respected member of the court. His current mission was to find his good friend in the chaos that had erupted inside and outside of the marble palace.

Ben Beckem stopped suddenly in the middle of a busy corridor, unintentionally causing a minor back-up of servants behind him, but they wouldn't dare tell him to move. The general either didn't notice the jam he had created or he just didn't care, but either way he stood there in thought, and all anyone behind him could do was wait. _'Shanks, dammit, where are you? You were supposed to be in your office. I know that I told you earlier, you still have to conduct your duties. It's not as if these problems will go away just because you're getting married.'_

A young servant that was waiting behind the higher ranked general was getting impatient. He had so many things to get done or he'd be in some serious trouble. Ever so slowly and carefully the thin young man tried to ease his way around the obstacle in his path. He didn't even listen to the older servants who tried to stop him. When the young man was halfway around the general he figured it was safe to breathe again and he smiled.

Suddenly General Beckem's arm shot out to the side, expertly grabbing hold of the young servant's shirt collar, without excessive use of force. His muscled arm flexed as his fingers momentarily clenched tighter around the cloth in his grip. The younger man squeaked in shock and fear as he was slowly pulled closer to the powerful warrior. The servants stuck behind them either gasped or giggled at the poor man's predicament.

"Where is the duke?" Was the simple question that greeted the young man's ears as he stood panicking in the hands of a the much stronger fighter.

"I- I- I- He's, um, well… I don't…" The poor young man stuttered weakly. It wasn't as if he didn't know, but trying to remember how to breathe properly was the only thing on the caught servant's mind, so the easily answered question seemed pretty much out of his reach at the moment.

An older, wrinkled, chambermaid chuckled at the fright the young man showed of the general. She, like the others, had been waiting for him to move aside. Deciding to come to the young man's aide, she stepped out of the crowd. "My lord, I saw the duke pass by on his way to the gardens. He seemed very excited, it would be an old woman's guess that he was on his way to visit his beloved."

Ben shifted his hard, gray, eyes from the boy he had in his grasp to the old woman who was carrying a load of laundry. "The gardens you say?" The chambermaid nodded, a mischievous light in her old eyes, and perhaps they were the memories of her own youth. "Naturally, a man such as him would be out roaming the gardens. Thank you." He sighed in exasperation and nodded his appreciation before turning back to the younger servant he still had in his hands. "Boy, patience is a virtue. Learn it."

As soon as the young man's shirt collar was released his legs seemed to give out beneath him and he sank to the floor. General Beckem had already moved on down the corridor by the time the servant had the nerve to look up again. Whispers and chuckles reached his ears as movement in the hall resumed and the young man stood up shakily to brush himself off.

Meanwhile in the large, beautiful, gardens of the palace a man was walking down one of the stone walkways. He had a grand smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear. His red hair blew lightly in the refreshing breeze, bangs moving freely over his dark eyes to show three identical scars running harshly over the left one, it was nothing to him but an old battle wound. His clothes were a casual fit, though anyone could tell they were well made, and of high quality. A loose, white, silk shirt was halfway open down the middle. It showed off a tanned, well-muscled chest, and a long thin gold chain that held the royal crest on it and a pair of dark red pants were tucked into brown boots. The most stunning thing about him though was his companion.

The woman at his side and holding his arm was a breathtaking beauty. Tall with long shining black hair that matched her onyx eyes. Pale skin that would rival the moon on a brightly lit night and a deadly aura that said she would gladly do battle with you if you so happened to get on her bad side. Her long colorful gown, full of greens and blues, did little to hinder the grace and sure step of royalty. The Amazonian princess looked anything but the brutal and fierce woman you would find on the battlefield.

Shanks, an unflinching fighter and the man who had conquered the warrior tribe of Amazons, was taking a leisurely stroll in the palace gardens with his soon to be wife. Boa Hancock was the princess of the Amazon women and he had won her heart as soon as he had won the battle between his troops and her people. The two royalty were eagerly waiting for the ceremonies that announced their joining together in just a few days.

"The wedding will be here before you know it. In just a little while longer we'll be able to be together for the rest of our lives. The days counting down to the New Moon are passing so slowly. It's as if an old woman refuses to die just to make her son wait for his inheritance. It's too exciting to wait for." Shanks' grin widened even further at the thought of his upcoming marriage. The man was just so happy and he didn't mind showing it off.

"I know how you feel, my love." Boa smiled gently at the red haired man walking beside her. She was much more reserved in showing her happiness but her fiancé's enthusiastic demeanor was contagious and she could feel her own excitement bubble up in her chest. "However, the time will pass half as quickly at night, because at that time is when we are lost in dreams. Then in only half the time the New Moon will be shining down on us as we celebrate our wedding."

Suddenly some bushes rustled from the behind the couple but there wasn't any wind. Both of them turned to see what had made the sound and then neither could keep from chuckling at the scene.

Sneaking behind the pair was one of the officers of the court. He was trying to hide, unsuccessfully I might add, in one of the bushy green hedges. He was a large man and barely fit in the greenery even when he was crouched, not to mention, his fancily curled gray hair stood out like a sore thumb against the backdrop.

"Igaram, come out of there." Shanks ordered with a grin. "Come on, I know you're there. No use hiding anymore."

With reluctance the finely groomed gentleman crawled from his hiding spot. "Lord Shanks… Ma ma ma, Lord Shanks. It's not what you think. I wasn't intending to spy on you or the lovely princess. I was just making sure…"

Waving away the man's excuses, Shanks almost burst out laughing. He was used to being tailed by some form of protection by now. "Igaram, I need you to go out into the town and get the people of Athens ready to come and celebrate with us. The more the merrier, I say. There won't be any sadness on that day. That kind of atmosphere is only right for funerals. It will be a time of joy and festivals and merrymaking." The red haired duke nodded to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest. He wanted everything perfect for that day and people being sad just wasn't gonna cut it for him.

"As you wish, my lord." Igaram said and bowed low to the ruler and his lady. Then he turned and quickly disappeared in the maze of floral that was the palace gardens.

Both the princess, Boa Hancock, and Duke Shanks watched the man leave before turning back to each other. "He's a good man with good intentions. I really don't know what I'd do without him around the palace." The duke said with a satisfied smile on his face. He let a loving grin take its place after a moment as he looked sideways at the beauty next to him. "But, back to us now, my princess. I wanted to make sure you knew that even though we fought on the battlefield as enemies, and I injured you in a fair fight, which made you fall in love with me. I want you to know that our marriage will be different. It will be based on love and not battles."

It looked like the Amazon princess was about to answer him back, however, she never got the chance. At that moment someone else came intruding upon the scene. "There you are! Dammit, I've been looking for you everywhere, Shanks!" A very irate Ben Beckem stomped up to his old friend. "Where the hell have you been all day?"

"Well, that's obvious." Shanks rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I've been in places you have not."

Beckem only placed his hands over his eyes as he mentally counted to ten. Murdering the duke would result in some kind of horrible punishment, he knew, but he thought it was probably worth it.

After assuring himself he wouldn't pummel the red haired man, Ben sighed, and was finally able to complete his duty. "You missed your final fitting for the wedding tunic and the review of placements for the guests. You know you have to be careful with the seating arrangement. Lord Garp is still sitting next to Lord Roger and you know how those two are. If they are within five feet of one another they will undoubtedly leave the temple in shambles."

Shanks waved his hand as if dismissing the whole notion. "Ah, don't worry so much about those two. They can get along if they really want it."

"Don't just wave it off, Shanks. You can't keep doing this every other week." Ben said in exasperation. "And, by the way, you're supposed to be meeting with Genzo and his daughter in a few minutes. He says it's a personal matter he wants to discuss with you."

"Hm, Genzo, huh? I haven't heard from that man in ages. I think I'll go meet with him after all." Shanks said as if there was nothing better to do. "Why don't you come with me, my love? We can continue talking on the way to my office." He offered his arm again to the tall beauty at his side. She happily accepted and the two lovers walked off in the direction of the palace.

Ben, having been left behind and ignored, could only shake his head at his friend's antics. Sometimes, he really wished Shanks would act more like a duke.

XxXx

The duke's personal office was as expected of a man born of noble class. It was lavishly furnished with a beautifully carved wooden desk in the center of the room, in front of which were two maroon velvet chairs. On one wall was a long couch with matching maroon cushions. The opposite side of the room was taken up by wide windows that looked out on the town and a double doorway that opened up to a large balcony. Mementoes of his many adventures and battles hung on the walls and were stored on the shelves in the room.

Four people were sitting patiently, taking up the seats in the room, and waiting for Duke Shanks to arrive. Two young men were spread as far apart as they could get on opposite sides of the couch. Every once in a while they would shoot each other dirty looks. One of the chairs was taken by an older man with a grizzled appearance. In the other was a pretty, young, woman with an annoyed expression on her face.

Suddenly the beautifully carved doors that led into the office opened and a grinning duke stepped into the room. Of course, following closely behind was the soon to be duchess. "Well, Genzo, what a day for a visit. I haven't seen you since my last journey." Shanks called out as he stepped into his office.

The older, grizzled, man stood from his seat and took the duke's offered hand and bowed his head in respect. "Long life to you, my lord." Friends they may be but the red haired man was still a duke and so his station demanded this courtesy.

Not that he would care.

"Che, come on. Haven't we known each other long enough by now that these boring formalities can be forgotten?" Shanks placed his hand on Genzo's shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze.

"Last time I checked, Shanks, you were still the duke here. I am but an old man who has the troubles of a regular citizen since I retired from the court officers. Besides, this is not a social visit." Genzo explained as he stepped back from the duke, a frown forming on his face.

At the familiar look of someone who wants to get down to business Shanks also took a step back and circled around his desk. "Yes, Ben told me that you needed to discuss a personal matter with me." He sat in his chair, still a bit of the former carefree attitude remaining, as he motioned Genzo to do the same.

Genzo sighed as he sunk back into the chair he was sitting in before. "It shames me to have to come to you with this sort of thing, Shanks." He then motioned to the young woman sitting beside him. "My daughter, Nami-"

"Eh, this woman is your daughter? I can't believe it. It has been far too long since I last saw you." Shanks smiled kindly to his friend's daughter. A girl he remembered barely coming up to his waist when he last saw her. "You've turned into such a fine young woman now. I remember when you were nothing but a brat of a kid…"

"Shanks," Genzo interrupted with an impatient air, "you are kind of getting off topic here."

Nami grinned and blushed in embarrassment. "That was a long time ago, lord Shanks, but it's so nice of you to say. It's refreshing for someone to see me as a grown woman, capable of making my own choices." Here her brown eyes shifted and narrowed in the direction of her father. _'Unlike some people I know.'_

The duke's brow rose at the very noticeable annoyance in the woman's gaze. His focus turned back to Genzo as he motioned for his friend to continue. "My youngest daughter, as you can probably tell, is giving me some trouble these days. I just don't understand why she couldn't be more agreeable, like her older sister, she was such a good girl." The older man muttered the last part under his breath. Then he turned to motion to one of the young men that had thus far been ignored.

The fellow he pointed to was a thinly built man. His short blonde hair was straight as straw and one of his blue eyes was covered by his bangs and the visible eye was topped by a curled brow. His clothes were flashy and made of very fine material, clearly showing his station. He was sitting on the far left side of the couch with a patient look on his face.

"This young man is Sanji, the wealthy son of Zeff, a man you and I both know well. He has asked for and received my permission to marry my daughter." Then Genzo pointed to the other man sitting on the right side of the couch.

The man sitting opposite Sanji had a rather pouty look on his face like the expression of a child waiting to be scolded by his father. His raven locks were scruffy and wind-blown and his dark eyes were downcast. His appearance was much like the duke's. His red silk shirt was well made but left untucked and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

"This other man is Luffy. He is the son of Dragon, a high ranking officer in your army. He doesn't have my permission to pursue my daughter but he does so anyway." Genzo turned back to the duke when the two suitors had been introduced and continued his explanation. "Luffy has continually gone behind my back and attempted, many times, to make off with Nami's heart like a thief in the night. He's tried many things to capture her imagination, flowers, jewelry, and his fake love poems. Such useless things that can influence an innocent girl and convince her to not listen to her father." Slamming a fist down on the edge of the desk Genzo ground his teeth together in outrage. He knew he was getting himself worked up but at the moment he didn't care. The raven haired boy had snuck his youngest daughter away, to do who knew what to her, one too many times.

"Duke, if my daughter still refuses to marry Sanji as I ask of her right now, I plead that you allow me to exercise the right of all fathers under the law of this land. That she either marries the man I have chosen for her or she will die." Genzo finally demanded, looking up at the red haired duke.

Shanks leaned back, shocked more than slightly at the demand of his friend. If he knew anything about Genzo it was that he loved his two daughters dearly. Across the room, Luffy looked up, his eyes wide at the exclamation. "Hey, whoa, Genzo, are you serious? This is Nami we're talking about. Surely you want to rethink this." Shanks asked, glancing from his friend to the man's younger daughter.

"No."

The already serious feeling in the room became more so as the duke placed a hand under his chin and frowned deeply in thought. _'He must feel that it's something serious if he's willing to go that far. I don't like this situation but it is right under the law.'_ Shanks got up from his chair and walked over to the large windows. He stared out at the city for a long minute and then turned to start pacing the floor. Boa Hancock watched her lover pace in deep thought. He seemed a totally different man than he had been mere minuets ago.

Nami and Sanji had remained silent, the girl had probably heard all this before, and so hadn't been shocked by her father's threat. Sanji, on the other hand, had a smug smile on his face. It looked as if he thought this was a no contest. That he would win the battle over the girl's heart easily.

"Well, Nami, you're certainly old enough now to speak for yourself. What do you have to say?" Shanks asked at last. He stopped his pacing and turned his serious eyes to the orange haired girl. "But, remember to think carefully before you speak. Your father is the one who gave life to you, he has cared for you, and loved you. Like an artist would carve a beautiful statue from wax, so your father has brought you up." The red haired duke nodded toward the couch where Sanji sat and Nami followed his gaze with a sigh. "Your father has a point. Sanji is from a good family and is a very able man. He would be able to care for you for the rest of your life."

Nami kept her eyes on the man who had gone behind her back, to her father, asking for her hand. _'I know the duke has a good point and my father is only thinking of my future. Sanji does have a lot of money behind him. I would want for nothing… except for one thing… and that is the greatest of them all.'_ The young woman ran a hand through her long orange hair thoughtfully. She had no intention of marrying Sanji and had to word her refusal just right.

"Luffy is a good man too and his family is just as well off as Sanji's." Nami protested, her gaze shifting slightly to the side in order to watch Luffy's mouth turn upward in a smile. In her opinion, he just didn't look right with that troubled frown on his lips.

Shanks smiled kindly, he knew if she was half as stubborn as her mother was, Genzo was in for one hell of a fight. "I completely agree with you, Nami." His old friend squawked in indignation. "However, your father has already chosen Sanji for you. Therefore, he has a leg up on Luffy, and you must consider him the better man."

Shaking her head Nami frowned in Genzo's direction but was still respectful as she spoke to the duke. "No. My father can only see these two with his own eyes. I wish he could see them through mine, then he would understand."

"Unfortunately, your father doesn't have that power. I'm afraid you don't have a choice except to see them as your father sees them." Shanks said with a frown and a shrug. He walked back over to his desk and sat behind it again. When Boa came over and rested a hand on his shoulder, he guessed for support, he reached up to give it a caring squeeze.

Huffing, in her first sign of annoyance at the duke, Nami leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed under her breasts. "Well then, tell me what is the worst thing that can happen to me if I still refuse Sanji's hand? It can't really be as bad as my father makes it out to be."

Shanks quirked a brow at the young woman's boldness. _'Yep, just like Bellemere. I'm not even surprised.'_ Shanks thought while mentally chuckling. On the outside though he was still all seriousness. What he was about to say wouldn't be taken well.

"As the law of the land states, you will either be executed, or you are to be made a nun." Nami's eyes went wide as the truth behind Shanks' words sunk in. "Think carefully about what you really want, young Nami. You must consider how much life you still have left to live and what your true feelings are. Then decide whether or not you could stand to become a nun. Those that are locked away in a church and never allowed to be alone with a man again. You will never have a chance for a future husband or loving children. Your life will be spent chanting hymns and prayers to the cold goddess of the moon. That life will surely be rewarded in heaven but a married woman is far happier in the mortal realm."

Nami was staring down at her hands as they played nervously with her dress. Could she really handle life as a nun? Being as free spirited as she was it would surely be close to torture. Then her eyes flickered to the side, running over both men that were sitting silently on the couch, Sanji and then Luffy. "I'd rather live the life of a nun. Slowly withering away, like an old rose, than to live forever with a man I just can't love."

Shanks frowned in the direction of his old friend. His eyes questioning whether Genzo seriously wanted to go through with this. He received a hard stare in return. Obviously it was a go ahead with what had to be done. The duke reluctantly nodded. "Listen, Nami, this is a lot to take in all at once. I won't accept your answer now. Think about it and on the New Moon, when Boa and I will be married, be prepared to give me your answer then. Either marry Sanji, be executed for disobedience to your father, or join the high priestesses at the temple of the moon goddess. And with that said I think this meeting is over." The duke stood from his chair and reached over his desk to shake hands with his old friend. He could feel the man's hand tremble ever so slightly and he could only guess that it was fear of what choice his daughter would choose.

Genzo inwardly sighed as he turned to lead his youngest child out of Shanks' office. This wasn't exactly the outcome he had bargained for. _'Stubborn girl. Why is she taking this so far? What is wrong with obeying her father every once in a while? This is Luffy's fault in the first place. There are plenty of women in this city, why must he continually follow after Nami and bother her with such useless prattle?'_

Once the doors closed behind the group, that's when the two young men thought it safe to speak freely again. They didn't dare to open their mouths in front of the duke but now in the hall it was fair game. Nami was a few steps behind her father, silently glaring daggers into his back, when Sanji came up on her left side.

"My angelic Nami, please give in to your father's wishes. You should think of our future as something wonderful, it's certainly a much better future than what the duke's other choices would be." Sanji pleaded. He brought his hand up to rest lightly on Nami's arm and she was quick to brush it aside. However, when Luffy stepped up to her right side and did the same, she did nothing. That's when the blonde turned his attention to his rival. "You, Monkey D. Luffy, stop acting like Nami is yours to have. I have more right to pursue her than you do."

Luffy frowned deeply and stuck his tongue out at Sanji, refusing to back away. "Heh, the only reason the old man chose you, Sanji, is because he loves you. So, why don't you marry him instead, and leave Nami with me?"

Despite their bickering back and forth the group had made it down the hallway. It was one of the few corridors that wasn't a highway for servants and was still pretty empty now. Genzo stopped and turned back to the boys standing on either side of Nami. "That's true, Luffy. I love Sanji as a son. His family has always been close to mine. This is why I chose him to marry my youngest child. After all, she is mine to give away and I'm giving her to Sanji."

"I have to say, I agree with your reasoning, Genzo. If I had a daughter I would want her to be in the hands of a man I could trust." Shanks said, stepping up from behind Luffy. The raven haired young man yelped and stumbled forward in surprise. Nami gasped and jumped in the air. Both Genzo and Sanji spun around to stare at the sudden appearance of the duke. "Ah, sorry. Did I scare you?" He asked with a teasing grin.

'_I don't care if I'm punished for it. I have to at least try to spare Nami from this trouble. If I can just convince the duke that I'm better than Sanji and that I'm the one she's supposed to be with maybe he'll change his mind.'_ Luffy quickly straightened up with a determined frown etched on his face. He had been quite long enough. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nami notice his expression and her eyes widened in recognition. Apparently she had gotten used to his look when he was about to do something unreasonably stupid. Like arguing with the city's ruler. "My lord, I'm just as good a choice for Nami's husband, you said so yourself. My family is of noble blood and we are one of the wealthiest families in Athens. She would want for nothing, I could care for her much better than Sanji could, and I love her more than Sanji would ever manage."

Nami stepped forward and placed her hand in Luffy's. She was blushing lightly at everything he had just said, out loud and to the duke, of all people. He didn't seem to care about the consequences of his outburst and even though there hadn't been a question about it before, the young woman knew she had made the right choice. Luffy glanced over at Nami as she slid her smaller hand into his. He gave it a squeeze, and smiled, as if to thank her for standing by him. He loved her too much to just step aside and let her deal with it on her own.

"And also, she loves me, which is way more important than all that other stuff I just said. Why shouldn't I be allowed to marry her?" Without pausing Luffy then turned to face Sanji and he motioned to his rival with his free hand. He wasn't going to stop now that he finally had the duke's attention. "This man doesn't love her, at least, not the way she should be loved. He's nothing but a playboy. It's not a lie. I'll even say it to his face. Sanji was dating another woman before he met Nami. She is Cobra's only daughter. Vivi has fallen in love with him because he wanted to marry her. She is a good person and is truly faithful to this bastard who doesn't deserve her attention."

Shanks held up a hand for silence and Luffy was quick to clamp his mouth shut. Though it looked like he wanted to say more, a gentle tug from Nami's hand held him back. "You've made your point, Luffy. I must admit, I've heard some news about this situation recently. I had meant to ask about it when I first heard it but with everything going on around here, I just forgot." The red haired duke shrugged. His lips quirking upwards in a half smile. "Oh well, it doesn't matter, we will discuss this now. Both of you," here the duke pointed to Genzo and Sanji, "I want to speak with you in private."

Turning then to the young orange haired woman he reminded her of the decision she still had to make. "Nami, think hard about your choice and be ready to deliver your answer to me." Shanks turned away from the group and looked toward his fiancé. "My love, you are welcome to join us as we talk. Sanji and Genzo, I want you to do some things for the wedding party, and we'll have to have a discussion about the situation at hand."

=0=0=

Yea! Ending chapter 1 but what about chapter 2?

Is Nami gonna give in to her father's wishes? Or wind up a nun? Or is Luffy and Nami's love going to prevail?

I guess you'll have to wait and find out. Hehe


	4. A Desperate Plan Forms

So, a couple of you seemed weirded out last chapter when I put Shanks and Hancock together. Believe me, I don't blame you in the least. I spent weeks before even writing the first chapter trying to decide who would play who's part- the only constant was Nami, Luffy, and Hancock. I think if I explain my reasoning you won't label me as looney and give me 'this-girl-is-crazy' looks. I'm not about to start shipping this pair, you can believe that.

Nami and Luffy should be a given but Hancock plays Hippolyta for one main reason. In Shakespeare's original, Hippolyta is the leader of a tribe of warrior women called Amazons. In One Piece, Boa Hancock is the leader of warrior women from an island called Amazon Lily. Can you really blame me for playing to that strong of a connection? Shanks came into the picture because I've always thought he is what Luffy aspires to be like. In short, I've always pictured Shanks as a kind of grown-up version of Luffy. And since Hancock is so Luffy crazy anyway, and I won't allow the cougar to have him in any other story, I figured she'd be happy enough with someone more her age.

Hopefully that explains things enough, so we can put away the I-Love-Me jacket until another time. Right? (smiles nervously)

Dis: One Piece belongs to Oda and Shakespeare gets the rest of it. The only thing I claim is the nutsy idea to merge the two.

**Chapter Two  
><strong>**A Desperate Plan Forms**

"I want you to separate yourself from this young man as soon as possible and go straight home. Nojiko will, most likely, be waiting there for us. We are talking about this when I return." Genzo ordered as he laid a hand on his youngest daughter's arm though not harshly.

Nami didn't say anything to her father. She didn't even acknowledge his words. After a moment the young woman glanced down to the hand on her upper arm and then her deep brown eyes rose to stare defiantly at the older man. Without a word spoken, Nami pulled away from the light grip and turned her back on her father. She heard him sigh, maybe out of frustration. "Stubborn girl." Were the only words he said before she could hear his footsteps turn around and walk away. Shanks' and Sanji's footsteps soon followed Genzo's.

Walking away from the group gathered in the hall inside the great royal palace, the duke casually waved to the other two over his shoulder, and Genzo and Sanji followed him back into the office. Thus leaving Luffy and Nami alone in the empty corridor.

As soon as the heavy wooden doors closed, Nami whirled on her heel, and stomped away from the black haired young man. She could feel Luffy come up behind her after a few seconds but didn't bother turning back to look at him. _'How could he do this to me? I'm his daughter, aren't I? He knows how I feel and yet he just ignores it.'_ Nami's thoughts raced as she silently strode through the halls of the palace. She barely paid attention to where she was going, she just wanted to get out, and to get some fresh air. Past servants, and cooks, and messengers she led Luffy without even knowing if her companion was following closely or if he had been lost in her hurried escape to the courtyard. _'I don't love Sanji, I can't marry a man I don't love, but if I don't… I'd have to die because I couldn't live a life without Luffy, even as a nun.'_

Suddenly she felt a hand reach out and grab her elbow, stopping her blind progression through the corridors. The hand was strong but soft and just by the touch she knew it was Luffy. The jerk on her arm sent her tumbling around to face the young man. Such an unexpected movement also seemed to jar the depressing thoughts from her head, and now that her mind wasn't so filled with worry and sadness she realized that through her hurried rushing, she had successfully led the two of them out into the courtyard already. _'When did I get out here?'_

"Hey, Nami, you okay?" Luffy asked as he tried to offer his own comfort to his distressed lover by rubbing her arm gently. "You look really pale. You're not getting sick are you?"

Nami sighed and her shoulders drooped. Leaning into the soothing touch Luffy offered for a moment, she seemed to just deflate, all her annoyance and anger whooshing out of her in a breath. "No. I'm not okay. How can you even ask that?" The orange haired young woman turned away from the hold Luffy had on her. Without a look back to the palace, she once more headed for the huge iron gates that opened into the cobbled streets of the city of Athens. Luffy followed her again but not too close. Nami saw him, out of the corner of her eye, fighting with himself to give her the space she wanted at the moment and still offer his comfort. He was so sweet, she really shouldn't take her anger out on him.

But this line of thought only brought her full circle and when she tried to imagine her life without him by her side all she saw was dim, gray, and miserable. By this time the two lovers had reached a small park near the riverside. Walking along one of the paths, Nami finally found herself at the edge of the water, nearby was an old tree with gnarled stretching limbs.

The young woman slowly sank onto one of the stone benches set up under the old tree with its heavy, low, branches reaching out over the water. Luffy cautiously sat beside her, mostly unsure if she wanted him there or not, and placed his larger hand over hers that rested listlessly on her lap.

It was such a small gesture, but loving, and at the same time…

Nami reluctantly removed Luffy's hand from her own and held it sadly for a moment in-between her trembling fingers before setting it back on his lap. "Please, Luffy, don't do that anymore. If my father doesn't change his mind it'll be so much harder to say goodbye to you. I wanna cry already and it hasn't even been an hour. My heart feels like it's breaking in my chest." She looked up at the black haired young man, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Luffy looked down at the hand Nami had held, a deep frown growing on his face. He huffed and clenched his teeth together before speaking. "That's stupid."

"What?" Nami asked, her voice quivered slightly. Even though it was said under his breath she had still heard the words Luffy uttered.

The raven haired young man looked up at her then. His dark eyes were shining with some form of knowledge she didn't have. "I said, that's a stupid reason to be sad. Listen, Nami," Luffy held up his finger in front of her face. It was a lecture pose she often took with him when he was being particularly difficult. "In all the books and stories I've read they say that true love always faces obstacles or boundaries. Either the lovers are from different social classes-"

"What a problem that would've been for us. Imagine being born into a higher station and falling in love with someone beneath you." Nami murmured quietly.

"Or their ages were way too different-"

"That does sound awful. Being too old to marry a lover that's so young."

"Or else their guardians or advisors denied them-"

"Sounds like Hell to me. Having your love to be determined by someone else."

Luffy grinned as Nami fought hers but he could see her lips twitch upwards, so he continued. "Or, even if the lovers are a good match, their love was suddenly ended by death or war. It might only last for an instant, as fleeting as the shadow of a dream, and lasting only as long as a lightning strike across the sky. That's how intense things like love can be." He now definitely saw the distinct upwards turn of her mouth.

"You know, Luffy, sometimes I can't tell if you're just an average man or a genius hidden behind a veil of foolishness." Nami finally relented and let a small smile overtake her, now forced, frown. She leaned forward slightly, pushing away his still pointing finger, and looked him in the eyes. "If the stories are believable, and true lovers are always thwarted, then it must be fate. We'll have to be patient in dealing with our problem. If what you say is right, it's all as normal a part of love as dreams and tears."

Luffy chuckled, now that Nami wasn't feeling sad anymore, and before she could pull back, he quickly leaned forward the rest of the way and gave her a soft peck on the lips."Hey, I got an idea, Nami." He told her, leaning back and smiling widely, before she could start berating him about kissing in public, even though the park was empty. "There's an old friend of my Gramps by the name of Dadan. She's very rich and doesn't have any kids or a husband. She lives about fifteen miles outside Athens and she has always treated me like her own son. We could go there and get married. Athens' laws won't touch us."

Leaning closer to her again, not for a kiss this time, Luffy spoke lowly- so that Nami had to also lean into him to hear. "This is what I'll do. If you love me, sneak out of your father's house tomorrow night. Meet me in the forest outside of town. You know the place, we met there once, last May Day. Your friend, Vivi, was with us. I'll wait there for you."

Nami moved even closer to Luffy, not that there was a lot of space between them anymore, with her lips hovering barley against his. Her brown eyes hooded as she looked directly into his dark orbs. "I swear, Luffy. I swear by every arrow in Cupid's quiver and his strongest bow, by the very fire of passion. I will meet you there tomorrow."

"I'll be counting the hours until you keep that promise." Luffy answered, his lips brushing softly with hers as he spoke, teasing into the kiss.

A twig snapped somewhere nearby and the two lovers jumped apart as if burned suddenly.

Luffy grinned, seeing the person first. "Hey, look, it's Vivi. Speak of the devil." He laughed nervously.

Nami just rolled her eyes, the mood completely and unintentionally ruined by her best friend. "Don't worry, Luffy. She knows about us." The young man sighed in relief. Nami smirked and only shook her head, then she turned to greet the blue haired woman who had stopped a few feet away.

"I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something I shouldn't have? I… I suppose I'll just come back later." Vivi stuttered, embarrassed, as she apologized to the two. She didn't really see anything, only them jumping nearly a foot away from each other as she came up to the tree.

"Okay, that's fine with me." Luffy grinned.

Nami had the decency to blush but Luffy only chuckled as she lightly smacked him upside the head. "No. It's fine, Vivi, we were only talking. Anyway, where are you headed? You're looking very beautiful today." She asked, taking notice of her friend's slightly more dressy appearance, something you wouldn't wear to just go to the market.

"Wait, did you just call me beautiful? You really shouldn't say something like that when it's not true. As far as Sanji's concerned, you're the only beautiful one." Vivi looked away from her friend with a sad had been chasing after Sanji ever since he had left her so suddenly to go after her orange haired friend. "Oh, Nami, you're so lucky! You have eyes that are as bright as the stars and the sound of your voice is like springtime music. If only your beauty was contagious, I would gladly catch it. If the world were mine, I would give it all away, except for Sanji, if only I could be you. Nami, you have to tell me how you look the way you do. Please, teach me the tricks you used to get Sanji to fall for you so easily." Vivi pleaded desperately, her soft gray eyes boring into Nami's wide-eyed gaze.

Now thoroughly embarrassed, and not knowing a word to say for herself, Nami sat speechless as her friend seemed to wilt slowly in front of her. Vivi didn't used to be so timid and self-depreciating but Sanji's abandonment dealt a serious blow to the young woman's confidence levels. Feeling awkward with all the praise that had just been heaped on her, by her best friend, of all people, Nami scratched the back of her head. "Believe me, Vivi, it's anything but my doing. I don't encourage the moron in the least and yet he still doesn't seem to get it."

"What an idiot, huh?" Luffy grinned and shook his head in mock disappointment.

His only response was a slap to the head. "I don't want to hear that from you." Nami huffed and glared at her ebony haired lover.

The young blue haired woman crossed her arms and moaned in disappointment of herself. "Oh, if only my encouragement worked half as well as your discouragement." Vivi pouted.

"It seems like the more I hate him, the more he follows me around, like a little dog begging for a treat. It's not my fault Sanji acts like that." Nami groaned in her building frustration of the blonde haired suitor. Luffy, sitting beside her, ran his fingers over her hand in an effort to calm her down.

Nodding in agreement, and being completely sure of this, Vivi didn't bother to question that statement. She had seen firsthand how Nami was around Sanji and of course she had heard all about how much love Nami had for Luffy. "I definitely believe you, Nami. If anything, it's your beauty's fault." She sighed deeply. "If only I had a fault like that."

With a questioning look over at her lover, Nami asked silently to reveal their secret plans. In return she received a quick nod from a smiling Luffy. "Vivi, listen, I've got a secret." Nami said as she stood up to speak softly to her best friend. She couldn't chance anyone else overhearing anything. "You won't have to worry about my looks for much longer. I'll soon be gone forever."

Vivi gasped and her brows rose in surprise. "Forever? Nami, you're not going to…?"

The orange haired young woman chuckled at her best friend's worried expression. She knew what the other girl was probably thinking. "Don't feel sad, it's not like I'm going to kill myself or anything. Luffy and I are running away from this city. Before I met him Athens was like a paradise, I could've asked for nothing else, but now he's turned this paradise into a Hell. If I can't be with him then that is what it's like for me."

"This is gonna be our secret plan, Vivi." Luffy spoke up as he wrapped his arms around Nami from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder, causing the young woman to blush furiously, and the raven haired young man whispered to the two girls with him. "Tomorrow night, when the moon is high, we're going to sneak out of Athens. It's the perfect time of night for hiding runaway lovers, after all. Shishishi." Luffy snickered happily.

"In the woods, outside the city, where you and I used to spend each summer gossiping and telling secrets, that's where Luffy and I will meet." Nami explained with a smile. She knew Vivi would remember that spot. Most of their childhood was spent in that clearing, hiding from Nami's older sister, Nojiko. Or giggling together in the grass. "From that point on we'll turn our backs on this city forever. We'll be able to start new lives and make new friends someplace else."

"It's gonna be such a great adventure to go on together." Luffy added in. "Shishi. This is something two lovers can easily accomplish."

Nami blushed again as she felt Luffy pull her even closer with an affectionate hug. She lightly elbowed him in the ribs, getting him to back off some. "Luffy, behave." She admonished softly and then turned her attention back to her blue haired friend. "Anyway, Vivi, I'll say goodbye now. Just in case we don't see each other again before Luffy and I leave. You're like a sister to me and I'll miss you. Please send us a prayer for a safe journey and also good luck with Sanji."

Finally pulling away from her lover's grasp, Nami turned, and she smiled gently at Luffy's disappointed expression. "Luffy, I think we should stay away from each other until we meet tomorrow night. It might seem suspicious if we're seen together too much."

Luffy's shoulders drooped as Nami pulled out of his hands. "Aw, do we have to wait that long?" He asked in a pouty voice, his lower lip sticking out cutely.

Shaking her head at the way Luffy could somehow be both childish and mature at the same time Nami leaned forward to give the young man a quick kiss on his lips. They were soft and warm and it was hard for her to pull away, Luffy seemed to pull her into himself without even laying a hand on her skin. Like always when they kissed. "Don't worry, Luffy. Soon we'll be able to see each other again and no one will be able to part us this time."

"Okay." Luffy sighed, smiling softly, but still disappointed that he would have to wait for a whole day to be able to kiss Nami again.

"Now, I'll leave the park first and then you follow in a few minutes." Nami told him. She gave his hand, which she had been holding the entire time, a loving squeeze and finally broke all contact as she headed in the direction of the bridge. She glanced over her shoulder a final time and smiled encouragingly.

Luffy's smile faded out as he watched his lover walk away. It hadn't been a full minute and already he wished she was in his arms again. As soon as Nami was out of sight Luffy's whole body seemed to droop. "Aww, I can't wait for a whole day. This is gonna suck." He groaned.

Vivi patted the young man's shoulder to offer some comfort. "Don't worry, Luffy. I bet the time will pass in the blink of an eye. You'll be able to see her again soon."

Luffy scratched the back of his head as he looked from the spot where Nami could last be seen and shifted his gaze to Vivi. "Yeah, I know you're right, but it's still gonna suck." He groaned deeply. "Well, I guess that's enough time. I hope you can get Sanji to love you as much as you love him. You deserve it after what he put you through." Luffy patted her back, in return for her comfort, and then ran off in the same direction Nami had gone. He gave a wave over his shoulder as the river bank and the young woman disappeared out of his sight.

After Luffy had gone and it was just the lonely blue haired girl under the tree she let out a heavy sigh and plopped down on the bench her best friend and lover had occupied. "I wish you luck, Nami. One of us should at least get the chance to be happy. But still, it's amazing how much happier one person can be than another." She looked off in the direction her friend went and crossed her arms in a pout. "I don't understand. Everyone in this city thinks I'm just as pretty as Nami. However, the one person who counts the most, doesn't even notice me."

'_He's making such a mistake going after Nami but…'_ Vivi's eyes widened as her mind went through with those thoughts _'…but am I making the same mistake as well, chasing after Sanji? Love surely is a strange creature. It can turn such worthless things as desirable as gold. When we're in love our eyes are blinded and even the most careful person will start doing reckless things. After all, Cupid, the god of love, is blind himself.'_ The young woman got up from the bench and began to walk along the bank of the river as her confusing thoughts seemed to plague her. Anyone else that was in the park didn't bother her. _'If Cupid himself is blind, he is bound to be a very unreliable type. He breaks his promises so easily. And this is why love is so confusing like this.'_

"Before Sanji ever met Nami, he showered me with promises, and he swore to stay by my side forever." Vivi suddenly stopped her walking and she found herself on the other side of the park already.

She hadn't been paying very close attention to where she was going while she was thinking so deeply. The young woman felt herself grow irritated all over again at the memory of how the blonde man had treated her recently and the fact that if it hadn't been for Nami he would still be with her. "That's right, it all started with Nami. Sanji got all hot and bothered by her the moment she showed up and all those promises to me melted away like snow."

Suddenly Vivi's face lit up with a wide smile as she got an idea. She paused as she wondered how mad Nami would get but then pushed the concern aside in favor of imagining how grateful Sanji would be to her.

"If I tell Sanji that Nami is running away with Luffy tomorrow night, he's sure to run after her, but he'll be so grateful to me for the information. And, who knows where that will lead. I did say one of us should be happy, why can't it be me? If anything he won't yell at me again for coming to see him, once I tell him this news." Vivi giggled happily as her mind wandered through fantasies of having Sanji's undying gratitude and thanks. She didn't even register that she would be breaking the confidence of the woman who was like a sister to her.

With more of a skip to her step Vivi hurried from the park and went rushing through the semi-crowded streets of Athens. Her goal was in her mind and there was no going back once she had decided. A few citizens spared a glance for the hurried young woman but other than that the run from the riverside to Sanji's family home was uneventful.

Once she arrived Vivi immediately called into the courtyard. "Hello? Sanji, are you home?"

It wasn't two minutes of waiting before the young man of Vivi's fantasies appeared on the terrace overlooking the yard. He had arrived back from the duke's palace just a few minutes ago. "Oh, it's you." He said in disinterest as he shrugged and turned away from her, ready to go back to what he was doing. "Go away, Vivi. I'm not interested in you anymore."

"No wait, please, Sanji. I have something to tell you about Nami and Luffy. If you don't listen to me they'll be out of your reach forever." Vivi pleaded desperately, still somewhat out of breath from her run through the city. However, she smiled when she saw Sanji halt in his departure, and he turned to give her a calculating look.

=0=0=

And that's chapter 2 done.

I have some homework to catch up on so it'll be awhile before the next chapter. Sorry in advance. I tried explaining to the teacher that schoolwork just didn't fit into my schedule but for some unknown reason she just laughed...


	5. I'm Glad to Meet You

Okay, I knew what was going to happen to the Strawhats that had been affected by Law's powers was going to be ridiculous but… Dang! The very moment Sanji was put into a woman's body… that was the kicker. I almost died laughing. But if I died ya'll would be out of a story. So I managed to pull myself together in order to post this.

Dis: You can't make me say it… I'm not gonna say it…

**Chapter Three  
>I'm Glad to Meet You<strong>

The streets surrounding the regal white marble palace that stood in the center of the great city of Athens were, as usual, bustling with life. The happy citizens were going about their daily routines and business of buying and selling from the market vendors. Meanwhile, children ran around in the city square, playing games and shouting in playful excitement. The morning was bright and cheerful as it should be on such a fine day.

Off in one castaway corner of the hustle and bustle of the market, just outside of a small inn, a very important meeting was taking place. A group of workmen were gathered around and chatting with each other as they waited for everyone to show and the meeting to get underway.

Finally, after waiting for a while the apparent leader of the group stood up to address his friends. He was a pale, thin, man with extremely bushy black hair. In his bone-thin hands he held a brass topped cane and he was by far the oldest of the men gathered.

"Is everyone here, then? If so let's get started, shall we?" He called above the backdrop noise of the traffic of people passing them by and also the conversations each of them were having amongst each other.

"Hey! Hey, Brook. Call roll. You should call roll from the list you have there." One of the younger, but more exuberant of the group, yelled before another word could be spoken.

He was a lanky young man, wiry muscles under tanned skin, and his most outstanding feature… his rather long nose. Soft, curly, black hair topped the young man's head and a wide excited smile spread on his face.

Brook, the organizer of this player's meeting, waved his hands in acknowledgment to his companion's loud suggestion. Also as a way to get him to quiet down. "Very well, but first, this list contains the names of the men in Athens who are good enough to act in the play we are doing for the Duke and his Duchess on their wedding night. Now, for the roll call."

Again the younger man called out. He was sitting close to the center of the small group of men and he seemed to paying rapt attention to the goings on of the circle of workmen. "Wait, you should let us all know what the play is about, and then read the actor's names."

Brook raised a brow to the orders of the other man but sighed and did as he said. The play would have to be explained at some point anyway. "Very well, I suppose you have a point, Ussop." He said, nodding at last, to the overly excited young man. "This play is called 'A Very Tragic Comedy about the Horrible Deaths of Pyramus and Thisbe'." He motioned to a stack of scripts sitting next to him on a bench and looked around the group. There were a few looks of recognition, but most were only blank, never having heard the title before.

"Ooh, I know that one. It's a great piece of work and also very funny." Ussop said to the group at large. The tone of his voice suggested that he would have gone on to probably explain how he knew that play or where he had seen it or who he had seen it with or any number of other things to keep the attention of his audience on himself. That is if Brook hadn't interrupted.

"Alright, my friends, I will now call the roll. Do please answer as I say your name." The pale, skinny, man unrolled the parchment in his hands and started off with the first name he came to.

"Ussop, the poet?"

The long nosed young man instantly jumped in his seat. His hand shooting up into the air so that everyone could see. "That's me. I'm here, of course. Tell me, what part do I play? Name it and then you can go on."

"You play Pyramus." Handing over one of the scripts from the stack beside him, Brook tapped against the first page where Pyramus' name was on the very top. That usually indicated it was an important part.

Ussop placed a finger under his nose thoughtfully as he skimmed over the first page. "Pyramus, huh? Is he a lover or a tyrant character?"

Brook smiled before he picked up the list of names again. "He is a lover who kills himself, very nobly, I might add."

Not seeming able to keep his grin from widening at the thought, Ussop stood up in his ever growing excitement. "In that case, I'll have to cry to make my performance believable, even though it's been a while since I last played such a tearful part. Hah, that audience better watch out. As soon as my tears start I bet they'll be crying too. I'll make the tears flow out of their eyes like rivers."

"Are you really that good, Ussop?" The youngest of the group asked. He was only a boy of seventeen and a good friend of the poet. His short sandy brown hair fell into his deep dark brown eyes as he started in awe at the exclamation of his friend.

"Yeah, you bet I am. Why, I was thrilling audiences with my performances, especially my portrayals of raving tyrants, when I was just a young boy. This will be as easy as putting ink to paper." The poet boasted for the benefit of his starry eyed admires, even if that only amounted to one person. "Anyway, go on Brook, name the other actors. I am looking forward to this but I was so hoping to do a tyrant this time. I can play a really good Hercules or really any character that has a lot of ranting and raving to do. Just listen to this and judge for yourself." The tanned young man jumped up on the bench, nearly toppling over the stack of scripts still to be handed out, and quickly ran through his mind for an appropriate few lines of dialogue. Then for the group of watchful onlookers that had gathered around at the disturbance and for his friends Ussop started.

"The raging rocks  
>And shivering shocks<br>Shall break the locks  
>Of prison gates.<br>And Phoebus' oar  
>Shall shine from far<br>And make and mar  
>The foolish Fates."<p>

There was a small smattering of polite applause once the young poet finished. "I guess I really outdid myself that time." He murmured quietly as he bowed low over the worn bench in a flourish of movement. Afterward he jumped off his impromptu stage and landed easily on the ground and took his seat again. "Well, what are you waiting for, Brook? Name off the rest of the actors."

Brook sighed again and resumed calling the actors before his long nosed companion could think of anything else to interrupt with. "Chopper, the apprentice?"

The brown haired youth that had been so amazed at Ussop's performance raised a hand timidly. "Here." He took the script that Brook handed to him without fuss and waited for the older man to name his part.

"You'll play the role of Thisbe. It is an important part so study well, my young friend." Brook smiled encouragingly down to the youngest member of their little group. Giving a title character to such an untested boy would not have been his first choice but there was no one else to play it.

"Cool, Thisbe is in the title, right? That must mean it's a big part too." Chopper was suddenly excited about the prospect of performing for the Duke. He had never had a big part in one of the plays before. "Who is he? What does he do? A warrior? A brave knight on a quest?"

Clearing his throat and suddenly looking away from the boy, Brook hmm'd nervously before answering. "Um, no, it isn't anything like that. Thisbe is the woman Pyramus is in love with, my boy."

You could practically hear the young man's dreams smashing in his head as a silent wind blew through the group of workmen. Someone in the back snickered, and then another tried to muffle his, but in the silence you could still hear it. "But…but… Come on, Brook. Why do I have to play a girl again? I'm a man now, dammit." He finally broke down and pouted up at the one who kept putting him into these embarrassing situations.

Brook only shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, Chopper. You are the youngest one among us and you can make your voice go as high as you like when doing the lines. If you think it will help, Thisbe can wear a mask." The bushy haired man offered to try and calm the young apprentice down.

It was at this point that Ussop spoke up again. "In that case, if Thisbe will wear a mask, I can play that part as well." He told himself he was offering to do this, if only to help his younger friend out, but that didn't mean he didn't want the extra attention it would bring to him either. "I can play Pyramus first."

Ussop turned to the right and used a deep, male, voice. "Thisbe! Where is my Thisbe?" Then he turned to the left and spoke in a much lighter female voice. "Ah, Pyramus, my dear lover, I am here."

He turned back to Brook and Chopper with a gesture of his hand and spoke in his normal tone now that the demonstration was over. "See? That easy."

Chopper looked hopefully up at Brook as the thin man frowned. "No, Ussop, it's already been decided. You're Pyramus and Chopper will play Thisbe. I'm sorry my young friend, maybe next play." The apprentice's shoulders drooped but he nodded in acceptance.

"Sorry 'bout that, Chopper. I tried." Ussop muttered as he sat next to his good friend.

"It's alright, Ussop. Like Brook said, there's always the next play, and I'll still try my best though." Chopper said as he looked up with a resigned sigh. _'It's to be expected I suppose. I am the youngest and I don't even shave yet. All the others have beards or at least some stubble.'_ A smile slowly started to spread across his face at that thought. _'That's right. I'm the only one who can do it. Without me, there would be no Thisbe, and no play.'_ Somehow this line of thinking cheered the young man up infinitely and as Brook moved on to the next person on the list Chopper's attitude brightened considerably.

"Hatchi, the fisherman?" Brook read the next name.

A large, muscular, man with a weird haircut raised his hand. "Nyu, I'm here too." His longish silver hair was bunched up at the top of his head and tied with twine. Because of his size he seemed intimidating but he was a harmless soul with a good heart.

Handing over the next script, Brook was quick to say his part and move on before Ussop had anything to say about it. "You will play Pyramus's father, it's not a big part and easy to read. Colby, the tailor?"

The young tailor, who was only two years older than Chopper, perked up from his seat. "I'm right here, Brook. What will I play?" He asked but already suspected if there should be any other parts for women in this play. His short pink hair was held out of his eyes by a cloth headband wrapped around his forehead. Being the two youngest in the troupe of workmen players he and Chopper had formed a good friendship. It was in part because both of them were subject to play the parts of women or girls in the plays they did.

"Your role is Thisbe's mother, also not a big part." Colby sighed, already resigned to it, and accepted the script Brook handed to him. "I, myself, will play Thisbe's father." Then the older man looked around the group, searching for someone in-particular. "Ah, there you are, Franky." He said finally spotted the large carpenter near the back of the group.

Brook wondered how he could've missed him in the first place. The large workman was even bigger than Hatchi in terms of size and wore even more flashy clothes than some nobles. His bright blue hair was also pretty eye catching, so he was rather easy to pick out of a crowd.

"Franky, you will play the part of the lion." He handed a script over to the blue haired man and then looked around the group, making sure he didn't forget anyone. "So that's everyone here and you all have your parts and lines. I do hope it's to everyone's liking." The thin, pale, man looked around the gathering of workmen again. Aside from Chopper and Colby, who still looked rather disappointed, everyone else seemed happy enough.

Franky had been flipping through the script and something was bothering him about it. _'Yeah, that's it. There is no lion part written down here.'_ The blue haired carpenter frowned and stood up to ask Brook about it. "Yo, Brook, there's no lines for the lion written down. I'll need to start looking my lines over now if I want to learn them in time. You know it always takes me awhile to memorize things like this."

With a casual wave of his boney hand, Brook merely brushed the worry aside. "Don't worry, Franky, it's just roaring. You can improvise however you wish."

Once again Ussop shot his hand into the air and was waving it about wildly. "Oh, oh, I can play the lion also. I'll roar so well that it'll be an inspiration to anyone who hears it. I'll roar so well that the Duke will say, 'Let him roar again.'" The tanned young poet jumped to his feet in his own excitement and then jumped to the bench. Using it, again, as his own personal stage.

Brook frowned in warning up to his impatient, younger, friend. "Be careful, Ussop. You don't want to roar too ferociously or you'll scare the Duchess and other ladies. If you frighten them you will get us all executed." There were several mutterings of agreement in the group. Franky merely nodded solemnly with his arms crossed in front of his broad chest. Chopper and Colby held each other in fear, not yet deserved, as they pleaded for Ussop not to do that.

Backing down for just a moment, Ussop suddenly brightened again. "Don't worry so much. While that may be true, my friends, I'll just soften my voice. You know, aggravate it, so to speak." The long nosed man jumped forward on the old bench with a soft growl coming from deep in his throat. "My roar will be as gentle as a baby dove. It will be like a sweet, peaceful, lullaby." He told them all, roaring again, and jumping around playfully on the bench. Unfortunately the worn wood had not been made for such grand performances and promptly broke under the weight of the man on top of it. Ussop, not expecting his sudden loss of footing, fell face first onto the muddy ground.

The mild applause from the random passersby faded out and in its place were quiet giggles of the young women and muffled guffaws of the men that had born witness to the embarrassment of the black haired poet. Ussop slowly picked himself up as the quiet noises grew in volume. He was covered in mud and had made a good fool of himself for half the marketplace to see.

Suddenly, Brook was kneeling in the mud, and helping his friend to his feet. Ussop allowed him to help but once he was upright again brushed away the concern as he brushed off the mud from his clothes. "Ussop, you okay?" Chopper asked, a worried tone filling his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Only bruised pride." Ussop answered with a wry grin.

Then Brook was beside him again, with a comforting hand over his shoulder. "Ussop, my friend, you cannot play the lion. Your part is Pyramus and no other. He is the lead man and also the most handsome man that you would find on any day. A real gentleman's man. You are the only one of us that is suited to play that role."

Ussop seemed to finally accept this as he straightened up with determination. "Alright, in that case, I'll do it." Brook patted the shoulder of his companion in thanks before turning his attention back to the group at large.

"Anyway, men, you have your scripts. I beg of you to learn them by tomorrow night, in time for the Duke's wedding. We'll meet in the forest, a mile outside of town this evening, we will also rehearse there." Brook called out for all in the group to hear. "If we try to do it in the city, the plot of our play will be given away. Meanwhile, I'll make a list of the props we'll need. Now, be sure to show up at the meeting place."

"Don't you worry any, Brook. We'll be there and we'll all rehearse wonderfully." Ussop exclaimed, already back to his exuberant self, as he wrapped an arm around the taller man's shoulders. "Everyone will work hard and learn their lines. Now, I'm off. I have other things to tend to before our meeting."

Ussop suddenly released his older friend and turned to make his way out into the crowd of vendors and shoppers of the market. Hurriedly, before he was out of sight, Brook turned and yelled after him. "We'll meet at the giant oak tree in the Duke's forest."

Turning around for a final wave Ussop gave a wide grin. "I got it. I'll be there or I won't dare show my face in Athens again." And then he disappeared into the many people running to and fro about the city square. With a sigh and a shake of his head Brook simply ended the meeting and dismissed the others to do what needed to be done before they had to gather for rehearsals later on.

XxXx

As the evening sky began to stretch lazily across the horizon, with its blues and purples chasing after the lowering sun, and the farmers were putting away their tools. The village children were being called in from their play and in the city marketplace the vendors were beginning to close up shop. The day was drawing to a close, but in the wide expanse of forest near the city borders of the great city of Athens, there was still much to be done.

Near the biggest oak tree, standing tall and proud, in the Duke's forest two figures happen to meet as they passed each other. A handsome young man was headed in one direction while a young woman was traveling in another. To any other passing person it would seem as normal a meeting as one stopping to ask of the weather.

However, one would know their own kind when they perchance to meet.

"Good evening to you, my good spirit. Where are you headed tonight?" The young man asked good naturedly to the woman who he had known for one of his kind at first sight. His longish, wild, ebony locks were decorated with leaves and other foliage that had gotten stuck via his carefree running and playing in the forest trees. There was a smattering of freckles dusting over his nose that gave him the misleading appearance of a mischievous youth that matched well with the dark eyes that always seemed to hold a twinkle of humor.

The young female spirit sighed as if she were already tired from the night's events she had yet to accomplish. "I go over the hills and down the valleys, through the bushes and thorns, running past the parks and under their fences, and into the water and the fire. I wander everywhere faster than the moon can revolve around the Earth. My name is Tashigi and I work under Robin, the Fairy Queen. I organize the dances for her in the meadows and fields." The young spirit brushed away her short black hair from her dark eyes that caught onto the last rays of the setting sun and shone like a cold black crystal.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and find some dew drops and hang them like a beautiful pearl earring on each of the meadow's flowers. It's time I say goodbye to a dumb old spirit like you. The queen and her followers will be here soon." Tashigi moved to pass the other fairy but she stopped and looked back as he spoke.

Frowning in some wandering thought the freckled spirit reached out to stop the queen's servant. "This could mean trouble you know. The king is also having a big party here tonight. Your people will have to make sure the queen doesn't come near him because King Zoro is extremely angry at her right now."

Tashigi only nodded, already aware of the situation that had come between the Fairy King and Queen. "Yes, of course. The situation, I fear has grown out of hand, but what are spirits like us to do about it?"

"It's all because Queen Robin had to go and steal away that adorable human baby boy from another Island's king. She's never done something like that before and it makes the king jealous. He's furious that she won't allow him to take the child under his wing and travel with him on his journeys into the wild forests." Shrugging indifferently, he continued, but with a slight mocking grin. "Instead of that, the queen insists on putting flowers in the boy's hair, and makes such a bothersome fuss over him." The stranger sighed. For the first time becoming, at the least, slightly serious. "This fight has gotten so bad now that they refuse to talk with each other or even meet with each other. The arguing sometimes grows so fierce that it scares the younger and smaller fairies and they run to hide in the acorns and inside the flower buds and they won't come out."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Spirit…" At last, now bothering to closely look over the other fairy she had happened to run into, Tashigi couldn't get rid of the feeling that she might know him from somewhere. There was a certain air around the stranger that she couldn't deny to herself was familiar. "…but aren't you that troublemaking fairy, Portgas D. Ace? You are the one that goes around scaring all the village girls, messing with the flour mills, and frustrating the poor housewives?"

He nodded once with his arms crossed and his chest puffed out in pride.

"And are you also the one who goes around and gets travelers lost at night and then you laugh at them? There are people that call you a hobgoblin and you're nice to them for it, doing their unfinished work, and giving them good luck. That is you, right?" A large smile spread across the freckled fairy's face, as if those accomplishments were great memories, and he nodded brightly.

Ace leaned back into a nearby tree, completely at ease with everything Tashigi had just accused him of. "You do flatter me. Everything you have heard is true. It is me that you've heard of. I am the playful wanderer of the night. I tell jokes to King Zoro to make him laugh. Sometimes I hide at the bottom of a wise old woman's drink and when she takes a sip I make her spill it all down her withered old neck. It's then that everyone laughs and has fun." He chuckled to himself as a memory, or perhaps two or three, passed easily across his mind's eye of the times he had done this very thing.

"Such a tricky fellow." The queen's fairy muttered under her breath. _'He is definitely not someone I would turn my back on. Wait this presence… it's…'_ Tashigi instantly stiffened up at the familiar feeling making its way through the trees at her right.

Blinking suddenly Ace was brought out of his laughter when a presence made itself known on the edge of his awareness. _'Oh, damn. It looks like I lingered too long.'_ The trickster spirit immediately stood straight from his leaning position against the twisted old tree at his back. His black eyes were trained to the opposite direction where he knew the presence would appear. "It's the king. Zoro's on his way here. Be quick and step aside." He turned to Tashigi and motioned her away, not sure how the king would react to one of the queen's fairies hanging about.

"It's too late for that. Queen Robin is nearly here as well. Oh, I wish the king would turn back and change his mind. I know a fight isn't far off now." Tashigi murmured, looking both left then right, where the fairy monarchs would surely emerge into the small clearing.

=0=0=

As usual, reviews are welcome and very much appreciated.

See ya next chapter.


	6. The Reason a King Fights with His Queen

Okay, I'm sure an apology for being gone so long isn't gonna do much here, but I'm gonna say it anyway and beg forgiveness. Good news is my life seems to have straightened out. I say that tentatively because Life has a way of changing its mind about these things. However, for the moment all is good. So, of course that means, I'm concentrating more on my writing and less on staying out of the nut house and/or poor house. Yea me!

My New Year's resolution is to pick up on all my unfinished writing or have one of my good friends help me with the more difficult tasks. In any case you get a finished product eventually. It's good news all around. Now enough with my talking and on with the chapter you've been waiting so long for.

Dis: One Piece and Shakespeare dont belong to me

**Chapter Four  
><strong>**The Reason A King Fights With His Queen**

The two fairies, trapped in-between the approaching monarchs, looked both left and right to where the king and queen would appear. In a swift move Ace pulled the frightened fairy up into the highest treetops where, hopefully, they would remain unnoticed by the arguing couple. The freckled trickster wasn't worried for himself, he knew Zoro wouldn't cause him much harm for lazing about. However, since the king was in such a horrible fight with the queen, Ace wasn't sure what harm would come to the opposite royal servant. Down below, just as suspected by Ace and Tashigi, the Fairy King and his Queen entered the area from opposite directions and at the same time.

The king's followers were indeed wild looking. Each of them wearing tunics that would match the wild and dark forests which they came from. Like Ace, many of them looked to have run through a few tree branches, and also through the thorn bushes as they traveled here.

The queen's fairies, in contrast, wore brightly flowing cloth that would remind you of being in a spring meadow on a wonderful afternoon. They also had sweet smelling flowers decorating their heads and woven into their hair.

Each group stopped instantly at noticing the other. The queen and king didn't let their servant's hesitation halt them. Both monarchs continued on until they met in the middle, directly under the hidden Ace and Tashigi, and they only stared at one another. It was almost a challenge to see who would break first.

The Fairy Queen was stunning in her flowing robe, the color of freshly fallen rose petals, and a scent of many different wildflowers hung in the air around her. Her silky, long, raven hair spread along her back like strands of the finest thread. On her head sat a crown of delicate silver bands intertwined together like vines. A knowledge beyond any human understanding was hidden behind cool blue eyes. And, despite being surprised by running into the king here, her calm face remained in quiet dignity.

The Fairy King was an imposing figure. His mere presence in the, already small, clearing made all the lower servants shiver in their places, though his queen didn't bat an eyelash. His tunic was a darker green than the full summer leaves, his pants, the earthy tone of newly turned dirt. The sword at his waist was forged by the most skilled fairy crafters as was the white sheath that held it. Each item held their own magic. The aura that surrounded him was that of the king of beasts which had been brought in out of the wild and taught to be civilized and he only refrained from his savage behavior because of that thin line. The intertwined gold bands, to match his queen, sat lightly in his short mossy green hair.

The two royal fairies circled one another in the center of the clearing, neither speaking, but only seeking to find a weakness of the other. This had been the norm for many unsuspected encounters now. The fairy monarchs didn't often fight. However, when they did, it usually turned into a long, drawn out, battle such as it was now.

"So, it's you again?" Zoro was the first to break the heavily quiet atmosphere. "How _not_ nice to see you again, Robin."

Robin let a devious smirk play on her lips. "Oh, are we getting jealous again, my dear Zoro?" With a flare of her robes, the queen turned to her followers. "Come fairies, let's leave this place. I've sworn to never sleep with or talk to this one again."

King Zoro scowled as his black haired queen merely referred to him as that. He took a step forward, calling out, again trying to convince her to bend to his wishes. "Hold on just a minute. Aren't you supposed to obey me? I am your husband, after all."

"If you really are my husband then I must be your wife. That would mean you're supposed to be faithful to me." Robin frowned and for the first time since entering the clearing her expression changed to an accusatory glare. "However, I know for a fact that you snuck away from the Fairy kingdom disguised as a poor shepherd, and then spent all day visiting your girlfriends in the fields. The only reason you left all those times before now was to run off and see that slutty Amazon princess, Boa Hancock. She was your mistress and warrior lover, not anymore though, since now she's marrying Shanks. You have come here to celebrate their joining, right?"

The king scoffed, closing his eyes against the audacity of that statement, and folded his arms across his chest. "You certainly are one to talk, shameless hypocrite. Don't think I'm that blind, Robin." He then looked up with a hard glare at his ruling counterpart. "I know all about your little fixation with Shanks. You were the one who made his other relationships end in disaster."

"Those are nothing but jealous rumors, completely untrue." Waving her hand in the air as if to banish the words from her presence Robin let them slip past her. She turned halfway to motion to the crowd of her servants and followers. "My fairies and I haven't been able to go anywhere since the beginning of mid-summer without being bothered and badgered by you and your arguments. Because of these interruptions of yours we cannot dance for the winds and as such they seek vengeance on the world. They make such fogs rise from the sea and fall to the rivers so that they flood their banks. All the work that the farmers and oxen have done in the fields has been for nothing. Sheep pens stand empty in the middle of flooded fields. All the gaming arenas are nothing but mud and the twisting trails people usually walk have disappeared because no one walks them anymore."

Huffing again, Zoro seemed about to interrupt with some scathing remark, but the queen didn't let him. Continuing on her complaint now that she had started, it was something the king needed to be aware of in the first place, but she was sure he had been so wrapped up in his anger he hadn't taken the time to see.

"They've all grown over with grasses and brambles. As a result of all this bad weather, and foul mood of the tides, the seasons themselves have started to change. Cold frosts spread over the red roses and icy winter wears a crown of sweet summer flowers like it's some sick joke. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter have all switched places with each other. Now this much confused world doesn't know which is which and it's all our fault, because of our argument." Robin gestured between herself and the king, as if that motion would help him understand better of what was going on, though she didn't have high hopes. Zoro was notoriously stubborn concerning just about everything.

Shrugging in the most uncaring way possible the Fairy King merely rested one hand against the hilt of his sword and turned away from his queen. "You seem very troubled by all this. So you should do something about it then, after all, you have the power to fix everything. Why would a wife want to fight with her husband?" He turned to look at her over his shoulder. "All that I'm asking for is to have that little boy become one of my followers. Is it too much to agree to?"

Now openly glaring, a dangerous glint to her icy blue eyes, the queen stared down her husband. "Get over it, Zoro. I'm not going to give you the boy, not for all of Fairyland. His mother was one of my faithful worshippers and also a dear friend. We always used to talk till late in the night while I would visit on her island." Robin looked off with a far away expression as her memories got the best of her and she remembered the times before her good friend died. "We would sit on the beach and watch the merchant ships sailing on the ocean. She would often imitate them, with their sails full of the wind, she was already pregnant at the time. Many times she would bring me gifts, sailing over the land, pretending to be one of the ships coming back from a long voyage. However, she was mortal, and died while giving birth to the boy. For her sake I'm raising him and will not give him to you."

Zoro growled in his growing agitation and stepped back again. _'Damn woman.'_ She had always called him stubborn but Robin could be just as hard-headed as he was when she wanted to be. "How long do you plan to stay in this forest?"

"Only until Shanks' wedding." The raven haired Fairy Queen said coldly but then her expression changed to a teasing smirk. "If you behave yourself and join in our circle dance, and moonlit celebrations, then you may come with us. If not, then stay away from me, and I'll pay you the same respect."

Grinning in a fierce predator like way Zoro folded his arms and returned his queen's smirk with a teasing one of his own. "If you give me the child, then I'll come with you."

Eyes flashing in anger. A sudden fierce wind blew through the clearing. Off in the distance black clouds gathered. "I will not!" Suddenly whirling away, her colored robes flaring around her, Robin gestured to her gathered followers. "Come fairies, I'm getting angry. If we stay here any longer there will be a fight."

"Well, go on then, but before you leave this forest I'll have paid that insult back." The green haired Fairy King scowled deeply at the retreating back of his queen. She didn't even pay his last comment any attention as she waved a hand carelessly over her shoulder. Then the last of the queen's fairies disappeared into the trees leaving only the king remaining.

Meanwhile, still undetected in the treetops, both Ace and Tashigi watched the goings on beneath them with mixed fascination and fear. The young female fairy shivered in fright, Ace could feel it against his side, as the tempers of both monarchs rose. For his part the trickster couldn't help the playful grin as he watched his king, in all appearances, battle against the queen. He was a fellow who could enjoy the chaos that conflict brings.

As the queen turned away and she and her followers left the clearing Tashigi seemed to gain her senses back, pulling herself away from the side of the king's servant. "I… I should probably go and check on the queen. After an encounter like that she will surely need the comfort of her fairies around her. The king is so heartless." She turned suddenly to the one who had saved her from such a fearful encounter. "I want to thank you for your swift actions before. With the mood the king has been in lately I wouldn't want to meet him alone." She nodded towards Ace and then she was gone with breeze.

Ace remained behind, staring at the space Tashigi had been crouched, and then turned back to watch the king below him. The green haired Fairy King stood in his spot for a moment after the queen had disappeared back into the trees, with only a motion of his hand. He then dismissed all his followers to their nightly duties.

He stayed in the clearing, alone, for some time, deep in thought. Just as Ace was about to make his own exit, now that the fight was over, and thus the excitement. Zoro's voice suddenly reached him.

"Ace, come here."

The black haired trickster paused on the tree branch he had been perched on and then leapt through the leaves to land gracefully on the ground next to his king. "You called?" He asked with a slight smirk.

Zoro grinned to his faithful servant and friend. "You have a bad habit of sneaking about when these things happen. But, this time it's a good thing. Listen here, do you remember the night we were sitting on that cliff and heard a mermaid singing that sweet and beautiful song. It was so lovely that it calmed the stormy seas and made the stars shoot out of the sky so that they might hear it better?"

"Of course, that was really a sweet song to be heard." Ace nodded as Zoro placed an arm around his shoulders and lowered his voice so that they wouldn't be overheard by any lingering fairy that might be in the area.

"On that same night I saw Cupid flying in the starry sky overhead. He had all his arrows with him. And then he let one of them fly, with such skill that it could've pierced a hundred hearts, toward a young beauty sitting on a throne in the western part of the world. But as it came close I could see Cupid's fiery arrow was deflected by the watery, innocent, moonbeams and the young maiden was not struck by thoughts of love." Zoro went on to explain to his servant in a quiet voice.

Ace nodded every now and again to show he was listening intently to his leader.

"I saw where that arrow landed, it came to rest on a little western flower that was once milky white, and has since turned purple from being wounded by Cupid's arrow. Young girls often call it the 'love-in-idleness' flower." The Fairy King brought his voice down even lower as he spoke to his friend. Ace on his part leaned in closer so that he wouldn't miss a syllable of what his king had to say. It was obviously important to his future plans. "I want you to bring me this flower. You know where it grows, I showed you once. If the juice from its petals are put on someone's eyes while they sleep then that person will fall in love with the next living thing they see. A love potion to put it in another light." Zoro released the black haired servant and stepped away quickly. Ace could see the grin that almost matched his own tricky expression at the start of a great joke. "Ace, bring me that plant before a sea monster can swim twenty leagues, and I'll show you that you're not the only trickster in my courts."

Ace grinned back. His nose for pranks already picking up the scent of the beginning trail of a great laugh in the near future. "I can circle the world in forty minutes. This won't be a problem." With a bow Ace turned and was gone from his king's presence as swiftly as the wind would blow through the fields.

Sitting beneath one of the large trees on the edge of the clearing Zoro laid back, ready to relax, now that the queen would soon be dealt a humiliating blow. _'When Ace returns with that flower, and I have its juice, I'll trickle some of it into Robin's eyes while she sleeps tonight. She won't be able to help herself when she wakes and falls madly in love with the first creature she sees. Even if the creature is a wild boar, or a wolf, or even an ape. Before I make her normal again, I'll have a good time laughing at that, and I'll make her give me the mortal boy as my page also.'_ The king's thoughts were soon interrupted, however, by voices raised in anger and annoyance that drifted through the trees.

The Fairy King frowned at the interruption of his happy thoughts. He sat up instantly and looked around in confusion. The twilight was just passing and the sky above was painted in the colors of sunset. It was far too late for any villager or even hunter to be out wandering the forest.

The voices seemed to be coming closer and now he could detect two distinctly different tones. A young woman and a man. The man seemed to be the more irritable. "I wonder who these two travelers could be, coming through the forest at this time of night. It's unusual, to say the least, for two people to come into the forest only to have an argument. I think I'll turn myself invisible and listen in, just to see what all this commotion is about."

=0=0=

Reviews show me I still have some readers left to write for.


	7. That Could be a Problem

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Billy the Bard and Oda-chan owns everything, I only mashed them up

**Chapter Five  
><strong>**That Could Be A Problem**

As the late afternoon bled into early evening, over the regal city of Athens, a group of men were gathering under the great oak tree in the duke's forest. The first one to arrive was a thin, boney, man with bushy black hair. Soon after, a young pink haired lad found his way there with one his best friends, and the youngest of the group. Brook, Colby, and Chopper didn't have to wait long for the missing members of rough looking workmen to arrive at the meeting place. Franky, Hatchi, and Ussop came up together after entering the forest.

The great oak tree, which was the biggest tree in the entire forest, had once been walled off as part of the royal family's precious gardens. However, that had been so long ago it had mostly been forgotten, and the only reminders were some crumbled stone walls. Wild honeysuckle and lavender perfumed the air and the vines twisting around the nearby trees tangled in their reaching branches. Birds sang their evening song as the sun, worn from its race across the sky, prepared to rest and let the silvery moon take its place.

Once gathered under the leafy limbs of the sheltering tree Ussop stood up to address his fellow players. Brook, even though he was the official leader, allowed the younger man to carry on. It was far less stressful that way.

"So, are we all here?" The long nosed poet asked. He stood up on a large rock so that he could take count of who was missing. Ussop grinned widely when all the men were accounted for. _'Now we can really get this show on the road.'_

"Alright then," Brook said clearly, breaking into the small conversations around him. "Since all players are now here we can begin. The clearing here will provide the stage." He told the group, giving a gesture around the area, and then pointed to a spot nearby where bushes clumped together on the right edge of the tree line. "These bushes over here can be the entrance to the stage."

Franky, Hatchi, Colby, Ussop, and Chopper all nodded enthusiastically. It seemed everyone was eager to start rehearsals. They all knew they'd need all the practice they could get in the short amount of time before the wedding ceremony.

While everyone else was busy getting into position, there was one man who didn't. Ussop still hadn't moved from his spot in front of the so called "stage entrance". It looked like the curly haired poet was thinking deeply about something. Finally when Brook was passing him on the way to help Chopper, he called the boney man's attention. "Hey, Brook?"

Brook paused and turned to face his long time friend. By the tone of voice he could tell that Ussop was actually going to bring up something serious this time. He glanced over to the young brown haired apprentice and saw that Hatchi was helping him instead. "Yes, my friend? What is it?" Brook asked, taking some time now that Chopper was already being helped.

"I've been thinking it over ever since I read the script earlier." Ussop started speaking. His tone was soft and thoughtful as he stroked his chin, where a few chin hairs had grown, still in thought on the matter. "There are things in the play that'll never work. This is a comedy, right? But there is way too much killing in it to be very funny. Pyramus has to take a sword and kill himself. The ladies in the audience won't be able to stand seeing that. We have to do something about it."

"Yeah, that's true. That could be a real problem." Colby agreed as he came up to join the conversation. He had been nearby and had overheard Ussop's worry. The pink haired boy's voice caught the attention of the others and they also started gathering around.

Hatchi, after helping Chopper, came over with the apprentice at his side. He stopped right behind Ussop. "Nyu, if it comes to that, we should leave out all the killing parts." He said suddenly, catching the poet off guard.

Ussop shrieked and whirled on his two friends that had all of a sudden snuck up on him. "What are you doing?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" He yelled at them, clutching his chest where his heart was slowing down after the scare.

Continuing the conversation, even with Ussop in the background yelling at Chopper and Hatchi. The carpenter- Franky- snapped his fingers as an idea hit him. "I don't think we have to go that far, Hatchi-bro. I got a plan." He said, causing the others around him to look up in surprise. "We can write a prologue, like they do in some of the other plays, it can be used to explain things."

Totally forgetting about yelling at the other two for the moment, Ussop jumped on the idea, and he laughed excitedly. That's great, Franky. I can recite a prologue before the play even starts to explain things. I'll tell them that we won't hurt anyone and that the swords are really fake. And as far as Pyramus killing himself, I'll revel that I'm Pyramus and that I won't truly take my life. That'll keep the ladies from being afraid."

"That was truly a fine idea, Franky. I think you might've saved us with that." Brook praised. He clapped a thin hand on the carpenter's broad back.

Franky blushed, noticeable even in the evening light, but he tried to hide it by covering his face with his hands. "Aw, don't be sayin' that, you guys. And I'm not blushin' either."

"We still have another problem. If we don't want to scare the ladies of the court don't we have to be worried about the lion too?" Chopper asked innocently. All eyes turned to the youngest member for a few moments and then everyone made a surprised noise. No one had even thought about that.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that too." Ussop admitted thoughtfully.

"Do we have to do another prologue for this one too?" Chopper asked the poet. He looked around at the others but there wasn't an answer for him.

"Nah," Ussop finally said, "we can just announce all the actor's names at the start. Franky could show his face through the costume and can stand and say something so the ladies know he isn't a real lion. He should say something to the same defect as…"

"Wait, don't you mean 'effect', Ussop?" Colby asked, stepping up beside his friend.

"Uh, yeah…" The poet nodded and scratched his head nervously but he continued despite the interruption. "Anyway, he should say this. Ladies, I would like to ask you not to be afraid. I value your lives as highly as my own. If you thought I was a real lion, I would be risking my life. But, no, I am only a man. I am just like any other man." Ussop finished Franky's introduction and smiled to the others, waiting to see what they would say. It was silent for a few moments as the other men thought about the idea.

Brook nodded after thinking it over. It was his final decision to make, after all. "Yes, that sounds like a simple solution. That's what we'll do then." The thin man looked down at his brass topped cane, his expression remaining serious, and the others knew he wasn't done speaking. "However, there are still two problems we have yet to find answers for. These are about the props that are used in the play. One- how can we bring moonlight into the hall? And two- how can we construct and place a wall? Because you know Thisbe and Pyramus talk through a stone wall and they meet by moonlight."

"Wait a minute." Colby suddenly popped up again. "Will the moon even be shining on that night?"

"We need an almanac!" Ussop exclaimed. He himself didn't have one on him so he looked to his fellow players. "We'll need to look up the moon's cycle for that night."

The bushy haired Brook, luckily for everyone, happened to have a recent copy of the month's almanac with him. The older man pulled the volume from the inside of his coat and turned to the desired page that held the information they were seeking. "Ah, it seems we're in luck, my friends. The moon will be out and shining brightly on that night."

"That's great." Ussop exclaimed. "We can just open the windows in the performance hall when the time comes. The moonshine can come in through there. So long as it isn't cloudy."

"Yes of course." Brook agreed happily. _'I must say, this was working out better than expected. Everything is lining up just right for this great performance.'_ He thought to himself. "Even if clouds do cover the moon and block out the silver rays it so generously gives us then we can have a back up. One of us can come in carrying a bundle of sticks and a lantern, he can represent the character of Moonshine, because the man in the moon is supposed to carry sticks and a lantern. Now if our problem of building a wall on the stage could be solved as easily as that it would be wonderful."

Ussop and the other workmen from the city stopped and stood together in thought on this current problem. This one was a bit more difficult. It would be nearly impossible to carry in a stone wall large enough for Pyramus and Thisbe to whisper through. Or even to build one there on stage. The evening sun sunk a little lower as the group of friends stayed in silent thought.

All of a sudden, Ussop lit up, and smacked the palm of his hand with his fist in one of his 'ah-ha' moments. "I got the perfect idea!" He exclaimed excitedly.

Brook and the others all looked to the young poet in curiosity. With Ussop this idea was either going to be really good or really silly.

"All we have to do is get someone to play the part of the Wall." Everyone groaned or face palmed when they heard that. "Hey, wait a minute, let me explain. One of us can come up on stage with some plaster or clay stuck to them. This would be to show the audience that he's a wall. The Wall can hold his fingers in a O-shape to signify the hole through which Pyramus and Thisbe are talking." Ussop held up his pointer finger and thumb and made a circle with them to demonstrate what he was talking about.

"Brilliant, Ussop!" Chopper yelled.

"That's pure genius!" Colby readily agreed in his excitement.

Both young players had stars in their eyes from the clear admiration of the long nosed poet.

Brook, who was much more reserved, nodded his appreciation. "Excellent idea, indeed. Where would this play be without you?" He praised his young friend. "If all this comes together, then everything will be set. Now, everyone, let's begin the rehearsals before it gets too late. We'll start with Pyramus. When you're not supposed to be on stage then sit behind those bushes over there, remember that's to be the entrance to the stage." Brook reminded the gathered men as he got them back to business. They didn't have much time for learning their lines after all.

Meanwhile, unknown to the group of enthusiastic workmen, a playful spirit was making his way directly for them. The wild, black haired, fairy was on his way back to his king with the special flower he had been sent to retrieve.

Hearing the banter between the men through the trees, Ace paused, teetering precariously on a thin branch high above the forest floor. Looking down he didn't see anything but branches and leaves, deciding that the trip back with the love-in-idleness flower could wait, he grinned and jumped down from his spot to see what the commotion was.

Landing just out of sight, behind the border of the clearing, in the leafy undergrowth, Ace peeked around the wide trunk of an old beech tree. He watched with amusement as the group of men moved around the clearing seeming to set themselves up for something. "Well, what do we have here? A bunch of vagabonds fooling around one of the queen's favorite sleeping spots?" The trickster fairy continued to watch the humans do… whatever it was they were doing… with a very curious eye.

'_Ah, I get it! They're putting on a play.'_ Ace thought with a grin when he figured out what was going on. _'I haven't seen one of these human performances in a while. I think I'll stay and watch for a bit, maybe I'll even put in a guest appearance.'_ He chuckled quietly to himself and he waited for just that opportunity. Zoro wouldn't mind waiting for a little while longer.

Unknown of their audience Brook began directing the others into their positions and what they were supposed to do. "Alright, we'll start with Pyramus speaking with Thisbe. So, Ussop you come on first." The boney old man took a few steps back to watch the young poet say his lines.

Ussop stepped out of the bushes and cleared his throat grandly, ready to deliver his first- surely dramatic- lines. "Thisbe, sweet flowers with such odious smells…"

Brook slapped his forehead. "You mean 'odors', Ussop." Chopper peeked out from behind the group of bushes to whisper the correction with a lop-sided frown.

"…Odors and smells…" Ussop altered the line but didn't stop in his delivery. "…are like your breath, my dearest Thisbe. But, what's that, a voice? Wait here, I'll check it out and come right back." The long nosed man put a hand to his ear, as if hearing someone approaching, and then once his lines were said he rushed off stage to check the mysterious noise.

Ace's mouth twitched in barely restrained laughter. _'That's the weirdest Pyramus I've ever seen. It'd be a sad thing to see if these guys actually plan to carry out this so called play.'_ The freckled fairy had to clutch the trunk of the tree for support as he doubled over in an attempt to fight off the loud bout of laughter trying to escape his throat.

Once under control again, Ace straightened up, and only shook his head. Turning away from the group of Athenian workmen the trickster bounded up into the treetops again and finally allowed himself to break into chuckles. Zoro would be looking for him by now and the king was pretty impatient these days. "If there's time later, I'll go back and have some fun with those pathetic wanna-be actors." He laughed heartily as he flew through the topmost branches of the forest.

XxXx

Through the trees and bushes surrounding the clearing where the green haired king waited, himself invisible, not even casting a shadow on the ground. Zoro continued to watch and wait and suddenly two young people appeared in his sight. Unknown to him it was Sanji and trailing behind him was Vivi. Both Athenian citizens looked more than a little ruffled from trekking through the woods at this time of night but the worse off was the poor blue haired girl who followed after the blonde so devotedly.

Sanji paused in the center of the clearing and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat on his brow. Behind him he heard Vivi struggle with the thorn bushes that had undoubtedly caught on her skirts… _again_. Why she insisted on following him even after telling him about the plan Luffy and Nami had to run away was beyond his understanding. He really hoped this wasn't all a wild goose chase because it was becoming too much trouble and he wouldn't be able to forgive her so easily. His boots were mud caked. His clothes were torn and filthy. And he was sure he didn't want to leave the city walls ever again unless there was a carriage involved.

"Look, I don't love you, so stop following me around." The blonde young man turned his uncaring blue eyes on the woman who trailed after him all the way from the city gates. "You said that Luffy and Nami would be out here, in this forest. Well where are they? There's no sign of them. I'll stop that Luffy from stealing away my precious love even though it's Nami who has stolen my heart. I'm going crazy in the middle of these dark woods because I can't find my Nami."

Sanji ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he turned in his spot, hoping to see some trace of the two people he was out here looking for. Instead all he was greeted with was Vivi as she seemed to finally free herself of the forest brush and walked up to his side.

"What are you still doing here," he questioned with an annoyed tone when Vivi reached him again, "why do you still follow me? Get out of here, Vivi. Stop trailing after me like some desperate starved puppy." He stomped away from the blue haired girl. All the blonde wanted was to get as far away from his insistent traveling companion as he could get.

"I can't help that I'm attracted to you." Vivi pouted. She ran her fingers through her long blue hair, pulled over her shoulder, brushing it free of tangles and twigs that had gotten stuck. "It's like metal is drawn to a magnet because my heart is as true as steel. If you let go of your power to attract me, I won't have any power to follow you."

"What?" Sanji growled out in confusion. She really wasn't making any sense. He whirled on the girl, his eyes hard and cold. "Do I ask you to follow me around? Do I encourage your love? Don't I tell you in the clearest terms that I don't love you? If I have made that mistake then please tell me so that I can rectify it." The young man questioned darkly as he advanced on her.

"All that only makes me love you more. The more you tear me down, the more I love you." Vivi didn't back away from Sanji's fierce glare or at his advancing steps. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest as her watery eyes merely watched the object of her devotion come nearer to her. "Treat me as badly as you wish but, please, let me to stay with you even though I could never be good enough. I would consider it an honor if you would only allow me that, Sanji."

Sanji scoffed and clenched his fists in frustration. There's no way he could hurt a lady physically, no matter how annoying and clingy she was. His upbringing was better than that. _'However, maybe I can convince her to give up on her own. If I can't do so by force.'_ Sanji looked back at the blue haired young woman who had been a thorn in his side ever since he left her. "You're pathetic, Vivi. You make me sick." He hoped this would do the trick and she would go running back to the city and far away from him. Then all that would be left is dealing with Luffy and bringing Nami back to her father so the two of them could be married.

Vivi flinched at Sanji's harsh words but when she looked up at him again there wasn't a trace of hate or dislike for the blonde young man in her expression. "I know how you feel. When I can't look at you, it makes me feel sick." She stepped closer to Sanji, ignoring the deep frown that came over his face as she did so.

Sanji clenched his teeth down hard and tried again to dissuade the young woman from following him any further into the forest. "Your reputation will be at risk, you know." He motioned to the dark forest around them. "If you follow after someone who doesn't love you, into the deserted woods outside the city gates, and also in the middle of the night. It isn't really a good idea."

"I rely on your virtue to protect me, should I need it." Vivi said as she grabbed hold of the young man's elbow and pulled herself closer to his side. Leaning into him the devoted woman's kind gray eyes showed absolute trust in her companion. "It doesn't even feel like nighttime to me when I can see your shining eyes. You are my world, so this forest doesn't seem to be deserted, how can it be with the whole world here looking after me?"

Jerking his arm away from the girl Sanji scowled at his hopeless situation. He was beginning to think there really was no way to get rid of her. _'The last thing I want is for her to get the wrong idea and start thinking I care. Then I'll never get her away from me.'_

"Then I'll just run away and hide in the bushes and I'll leave you to the mercy of the wild animals." The blonde man sneered as he looked down at the pathetic young lady in front of him. He actually wondered for a moment if he could bring himself to do it. Sanji highly doubted he would be able to turn his back on any woman, even Vivi, out here in the middle of the forest.

"The wildest animal isn't as cruel as you are." Vivi moaned. She crossed her arms over her chest, comforting herself, and frowned sadly in Sanji's direction. "Run where you want. The story of Daphne and Apollo will be reversed. The lustful sun god, Apollo, runs away from the silvery moon, Daphne. And, the gentle deer hunts the fierce tiger. Speed is useless when the cowardly person chases the brave person that runs away."

Rubbing a hand over his face in frustration Sanji wasn't even paying attention to Vivi. He was too busy trying to figure out a direction to go, it was difficult because he was no hunter, and he had no idea where Luffy had dragged Nami in this deep forest.

"I'm not sticking around here to listen to you ramble on. I've got to find my Nami. Leave me alone or you better watch out, Vivi. I might just do something if you follow me any further into these woods." With that the young blonde haired man whirled in a random direction and marched off. He soon disappeared in the thick foliage of the forest.

Soon enough Vivi was left behind. She couldn't believe the man she loved would leave her here. "I'll still follow you and turn this Hell I'm in into a Heaven." The blue haired girl vowed to herself and stomped her foot in the dirt. _'Saying it is easy but I don't know how to change Sanji's mind. Maybe something will come to me if I continue to follow him. It has to if I'm really going to take him back from Nami's spell.'_

Vivi looked around nervously in the dark, unsure of her surroundings, before she ran after Sanji. The last thing she wanted was to wander about the forest at night and possibly be eaten by some wild beast. That and she didn't even know the way back to the city after following him for so long.

Watching after the pair as both the young man and woman hurried out of his sight the Fairy King came out of hiding. The green haired royalty cocked his head to the side and he couldn't help but feel sorry for the young woman. "Such a sweet young girl." Zoro said after the blue haired Athenian woman. She was a real beauty and even though he didn't really involve himself in the affairs of strange mortals, he couldn't allow such a tragedy to befall the lovely woman as her love remaining unrequited. "Before that curly-browed man leaves this forest, you'll change places, and then you'll be the one running away and he'll be in love with you."

The warm night was only started and already Zoro could tell it was going to be busy in some way. The wind blew through the tops of the trees making the summer leaves rustle in a music all their own and the fairy monarch enjoyed it for a moment before stepping to the side just in time.

That very instant a blur of movement landed on the ground finally revealing itself to be the prankster, Portgas D. Ace. His longish black hair was even more wild than before from his run to get the flower and back.

"Heya." Was the simple greeting to his king as he straightened up again.

"Ace, do you have the flower?" Zoro asked, not bothering with a return greeting for his messenger.

"Yep, I got it right here." Ace answered, brandishing the purple petaled flower in his hand.

Zoro smirked and held out his hand to take the oh-so-important piece of his plan from the prankster. "Good, hand it over. You actually did a good job and didn't screw it up this time." The Fairy King praised his friend and servant.

The fairy with wild black hair and roguish smile crossed his arms in a huff, threatening to crush the flower in his fists as he did so. "Hey, I take offence to that. Just because that shepherdess suddenly didn't want to see you anymore, you can't blame that on me." Ace shook his head at Zoro. He was referring to the time, some weeks ago, when the king had been out on one of his trips to visit the village girls.

"Oh yes, of course, how could I forget. It was the fault of the rich noble that you pretended to be, in order to draw the woman away." Zoro slapped the side of his head, as if he had suddenly forgotten that fact, but then glared accusingly at his now nervous friend. "We surely can't forget when you tried to trick me into believing some rogue, wandering, spirit turned one farmer's daughter into a cow and went to sell her at the market as you made off with her into the fields."

Ace made a choking sound when the green haired king brought that incident up. He was sure Zoro was over that already, it had happened a full month ago, after all. "Ah, yeah, well…"

Zoro reached out and snatched the flower out of his servant's hand and Ace let him for fear of having him even more annoyed. "Anyway, now to the business at hand. If this works I just might forgive you for those transgressions." The Fairy King smiled darkly in Ace's direction. "I know where the queen will probably sleep tonight. I'll head over there now and put the juice of this flower on her eyes and then they'll be filled with such wild delusional desires." Zoro started to laugh quietly to himself. Then, he paused, and looked down at the purple flower in his hand. The king tore the flower in half and handed over part of it to Ace.

The trickster looked in confusion at the flower petals given to him and then up at his king for an explanation. "While I do this, you'll take some of this flower and search this part of the forest. An innocent Athenian lady is in love with a young man who wants nothing to do with her. Put some of this flower's juice on his eyes but make sure to do it so that the next thing he sees will be the poor, desperate, woman. The man's wearing Athenian clothes, so you can easily tell him apart. How many of the citizens wander about here at night anyway? You'll have to be careful with this, he'll need to end up loving her more than she loves him already. Afterwards, come back to meet me before the rooster's first crow of dawn."

"Will do, boss." Ace brought his fingers to his brow in a sharp salute to the mossy haired Fairy King and in the blink of an eye he was gone from the clearing.

Likewise, Zoro also left the clearing, though a bit more dignified and calm than his freckle faced messenger. "Robin, just you wait." He muttered under his breath. "I'm gonna have a good laugh at this tonight, I warned you after all."

=0=0=

Ooo, so Zoro's plan is unveiled. What kind of beast will the Fairy Queen fall madly in love with? And will Ussop's group of merry players ever get their act together? Next chapter is up soon.


	8. Mistakes Will Change the Course

Oh, two chapters in one day. It must be a miracle.

Dis: Me no Own T_T

**Chapter Six  
><strong>**Mistakes Will Change the Course of Things**

In the grove of old trees where the wild honeysuckle and lilac grew, the group of actors determinedly continued on with their practice. There had been some problems before, but with them worked out, now it was just making sure everyone knew their lines. The sun was sinking low on the horizon and everything was darker under the cover of the trees. They would have to give it up for the night soon.

"Am I supposed to talk now?" Chopper asked, quickly looking for confirmation from Brook. The young apprentice was trying to remember his lines without his script and it was slow going.

Brook, who was sitting apart from the others so he could supervise what was happening on "stage", looked up from helping Hatchi with one of his lines. "Yes, Chopper, that's your cue. You're supposed to show that you understand that Pyramus just went to check on a noise he heard and is coming right back."

Chopper nodded and cleared his throat nervously. He took a deep breath and began again in the highest, girlie, voice he could muster. "Most r-radiant Pyramus, you are as white as a lily, and the color of a red rose on a sp-splendid rose bush, a very lively m-man. You are as reliable as a h-horse that never gets tired. I'll meet you at Ninny's grave." The words came out in a rush and he stumbled over a few of them because he kept seeing himself having to say these things to Ussop in front of a crowd of nobles. _'Aw, man, why does this keep happening to me?'_

Shaking his head, the thin, bushy haired man waved at Chopper to stop his hurried speech. The poor young player was so nervous he had said his lines all in a rush and he hadn't stopped when he was supposed to either. "No, no, Chopper. You are supposed to say that you will meet at Ninus's grave. You also went past your mark. You can't say everything at once. There are cues to follow, youngster. Some of that is the reply to Pyramus's next lines." Brook turned to look toward where Ussop was supposed to be waiting in the bushes. He frowned because the poet had totally missed his own cue. "And, Pyramus, you're late with your entrance. Now Chopper, go back to 'As reliable as a horse.'"

"You are as reliable as a horse that never gets tired." Chopper finished lamely.

Behind the large clump of bushes, that served as the stage entrance, Ussop snapped awake from his light doze. All of a sudden he had felt sleepy, the others were taking so long with their lines, and then he had slipped off. "Oh, that's my cue, isn't it?" He mumbled. Staggering to his feet, the long nosed poet took a second to straighten his ruffled clothes, and stepped through the leaves.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Ussop. The trickster fairy, Ace, was right behind him. The freckled being was invisible to all and he had a good trick up his sleeve. He silently chuckled to himself with glee. _'Oh man, this is gonna be so good.'_

As soon as Ussop stepped into the clearing and away from the cover of the close placed bushes Ace set his plan into motion. The wild looking messenger of the Fairy King quickly replaced the poet's curly black hair with long, pointed, ears that stretched out of the top of his head. The man's tanned face was covered with a course gray hair. His nose and mouth stretched and became one, forming into a more rounded shape, like one would see on a horse.

Ace had, in fact, replaced Ussop's head with that of a jackass.

Ussop, having no idea what was going on behind his back, took a breath to begin the lines he was supposed to say. He was confident he wouldn't mess up any of them. "If I were handsome, my lovely Thisbe, I would still only want you." He paused only slightly, when he heard himself speak. _'That's odd. There's something different about my voice. I hope I'm not getting sick because I'm hanging out in the woods after dusk. It would be disastrous for the play.'_ This is when he noticed the absolute silence of his comrades. Nothing even moved in the clearing. Looking to the side Ussop saw Chopper, Franky, and the rest. They weren't moving, it didn't look like they were even breathing.

Then all of a sudden Brook jumped to his feet with a horrified look on his face. "It's a monster!" And the boney actor ran off faster than anyone thought an old man could move.

Brook's panicked voice seemed to break the trance the others were in and there was a sudden hysteria among the small group. Hatchi was frozen in place, his large hands coming up to pull at his own hair. "Nooo!" He screamed.

"It's going to eat us!" Colby yelled, running straight into the fisherman. Hatchi was actually thrown off balance by the smaller boy but it brought him to his senses and he hurriedly followed the pink haired tailor out of the clearing.

"Hey, Colby, wait up. Don't leave me!"

Chopper was busy running around in circles and crying his heart out. "He~lp! We're being haunted!"

Franky actually had to run over, grab the youngster by the scruff of his collar, and haul him over his shoulder. "Come on. We don't have time for this now. We've got to run away!

In only a few seconds the only ones still in the clearing were the transformed Ussop and the invisible Ace. The donkey headed poet was confused and even slightly freaked out by his friend's behavior. He looked left and right and even behind him but couldn't see what had made everyone run off like that.

Only a few feet away, but still invisible, Ace was laughing his head off. That was the exact reaction he was hoping for. But, he didn't want the fun to end so soon. "I think I'll follow those guys. It's too funny to pass up. I'll run these bozos around in circles. I might take the shape of a horse or even a baying hound. Every turn they make I'll be there as a wild pig or a fierce bear. Ho, this is gonna be a great game." And just like that he was off, chasing down his poor frightened prey.

Not realizing the terror of his fellow players, Ussop tried to follow after them. At least to get some answers for how they were acting. He was more than confused but determined to find out why they all ran off so suddenly.

XxXx

The Fairy Queen soon arrived at one of her favorite spots in the Duke's forest. It was the clearing underneath the largest oak tree out of all the trees in the deep woods. The grass underfoot was soft and lush. The violets and daffodils even seemed to bloom much brighter here than anywhere else. There was the heavy but sweet scent of honeysuckle and lavender in the air.

The queen, Robin, and her followers entered the seemingly protected spot. The fairy monarch was still slightly upset after the encounter with her king; however, she quickly tried to move on. She couldn't let on how much fighting with him really got to her.

At the royal fairy's side were her three personal servants. As Portgas D. Ace was to Zoro, so these three fulfilled their own duties to the queen. Kaya, a quiet fairy with pale, shining, blonde hair. Camie, young and enthusiastic, she was always eager to do the queen's biding. And finally, Tashigi, whose task it was to travel about and bring back news to her queen.

The raven haired young fairy was the very same who had been hidden with the trickster, Ace, during the argument between Robin and Zoro before. When she had returned early from her journeys the queen had been surprised and Tashigi had told her that the wind had brought her the message that there would be trouble. She was quickly brought up to speed by Camie and Kaya, even though she had a bird's eye view of the whole thing herself, and she had remained by the queen's side afterwards.

"Come fairies, dance and sing for a while, and then off to your work." Robin said with a wave of her hand. The tone of her voice wasn't demanding but everyone knew she expected things to go back to normal- with or without the king present. "There is still much to be done tonight. Some of you must go off and direct the moonbeams to glisten on the spider's delicate web. Some of you will kill the pests that are infesting the rosebuds in the gardens. Now come, sing while I sleep."

Many of the small, flighty, fairies flew off at once to follow the queen's orders. A few did stay as, with a small wave, Robin crafted a bed of vines and flowers to hang among the leaves and branches of the great oak tree. The ebony haired Fairy Queen laid her head on a pillow of soft flower petals and closed her eyes.

On the tree branches around their leader sat Kaya, Tashigi, and Camie. As the queen lay on her bed to rest the three fairies began to sing one of the queen's favorite songs.

"Snakes with forked tongues,  
>And porcupines, don't be seen.<br>Deadly lizards, don't be mean.  
>Don't come near our fairy queen."<p>

"Nightingale, melodiously  
>Sing our sweet lullaby.<p>

Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.

Let no harm  
>Or spell or charm<br>Come near our lovely lady.  
>Say goodnight with a lullaby."<p>

"Spiders with your webs, stay away.  
>You long-legged things, begone!<br>Black beetles, don't come near.  
>Worms and snails, don't be bad."<p>

"Nightingale, melodiously  
>Sing our sweet lullaby.<p>

Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.

Let no harm  
>Or spell or charm<br>Come near our lovely lady.  
>Say goodnight with a lullaby."<p>

Soon enough Robin drifted into an easy sleep and the three fairies singing their lullaby quietly slipped up to the top branches of the huge tree. They didn't want to disturb the queen now that she was resting peacefully. Ever since the fight with the king Robin hadn't been like herself.

Tashigi pulled her friends in close so she didn't have to talk loud and wake the queen. "Okay, let's go. Everything's fine here for now. You two head out and I'll stand guard over the queen. You guys need to go off and do your jobs." Both Kaya and Camie nodded and headed out into the evening, leaving Tashigi up in the tree tops. The black haired fairy watched them go and then looked up at the bright stars just revealing themselves in the evening sky. _'I wonder what will become of the world if the queen and king don't resolve this quarrel. Already it's becoming very bad for the mortals out there. And the fairy realm isn't doing so hot either.'_

Meanwhile, several tree limbs below the thoughtful watcher, someone was craftily sneaking up on the slumbering queen. He had short, green, hair and a sword at his side. It was, in fact, the king. In his hand was the delicate purple flower he had Ace retrieve.

Sneaking around the tree trunk Zoro spotted the lightly swaying bed of his queen although there was not another fairy in sight. The dark eyes of the Fairy King scanned the surrounding foliage for any guard that might be around. It was unusual for Robin to be alone.

However, Zoro wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He quickly eased himself into the bed made of vines, next to his raven haired queen, and pulled out the cupid struck flower. "What you see when you first wake up, think of it as your true love. Love him and yearn for him even if it's a wolf, a wild pig, or a leopard." The green haired king muttered quietly as he poured the juice of the flower onto Robin's closed eyes. "Whatever creature's there when you open your eyes will be most dear to you. I really hope it'll be something nasty." Zoro sneered under his breath as he slipped away again into the forest, as if he hadn't been there at all.

XxXx

"Wait up. Come on, stop already!" A young woman's voice yelled out, disturbing the peace of the forest, though she wasn't the only one. "Luffy, will you slow down."

The thick underbrush was suddenly pushed aside as a raven haired young man dodged and ran through the trees. Luffy laughed loudly as he looked over his shoulder and slowed down so that Nami could catch up. He had run ahead of her but now he was lost.

From behind the energetic night traveler came the owner of the scolding voice that had fallen behind. Nami yelped as she stumbled over an uplifted root of one of the big trees surrounding her in this troublesome forest. "Geez, what a pain." When she finally reached the side of her, still chuckling, lover she swiftly reached out and whacked him on the head. "Why did you run off like that? Now I bet you're lost and don't even know how to get to Dadan's place. Of course, there's no way I'd know, and we can't go back to the city. If we do my father will surely find out and there'd be no chance to get away again." Nami sighed dejectedly as her shoulders slumped.

She was tired, sore, and was more than ready to fall asleep where she stood. It had been a very tiring couple of days and the trek through the woods wasn't helping. Even after the promise of escaping Athens with Luffy she still couldn't help but worry about giving herself away. She hadn't even spoken to her father when he had come home the evening before and had continued to ignore him since then. The only one she had spoken to had been her sister, Nojiko. Besides Vivi, she was the only other Nami had trusted with her and Luffy's plans. In fact, without Nojiko, Nami was sure it would've been much harder to sneak out of the city walls to meet her secret lover.

"Hey, Nami, you look really tired. Are you alright?" Luffy asked, suddenly pulling the young woman from her distracted state. He had noticed she had been trailing behind him for the last couple of minutes and knew they would probably have to rest soon. Come to think of it, he probably shouldn't have strayed so far from the path. Running a hand through his already messy black hair Luffy chuckled sheepishly. "Shishishi, yeah, I think you're right- we might be lost out here."

Nami groaned and sank down to the ground. She didn't even care that her traveling clothes were getting even dirtier. "I knew it."

His laughter fading away, Luffy frowned at his orange haired lover. He cautiously walked over to her and knelt at her side. He didn't want to be hit again, Nami was stronger than she looked, and he wasn't sure if she was still mad at him. "Aw, I'm sorry, Nami. I was just so excited and I couldn't wait to introduce you to Dadan." Luffy moved to sit on the ground next to Nami, his butt getting stained with dirt as he did so. "So what do we do?"

"I think we'll just have to wait 'til morning." Nami said after finally getting over her depression. She leaned back on one hand to stare up at the starry night sky above them, possibly trying to get directions from them instead. When the young man beside her leaned back to do the same she glanced to the side and smiled.

It wasn't often that the two of them could meet up at night. Even before Genzo had found out about the relationship, things kept getting in the way, but now there was nothing between them. Luffy watched out of the corner of his eye as Nami smiled warmly in his direction before turning back to watch the sky. He felt his heartbeat pick up when he noticed how the silvery moonlight washed over the woman beside him. Her skin seemed to glow in the pale beams and her chocolaty brown eyes reflected the heavenly bodies that her steady gaze was now transfixed on.

Nami sighed tiredly as her eyes slid closed and she leaned against Luffy's shoulder. "I guess it can't be helped, can it? It'll be easier to find our way in the morning. We should find something to use for a bed tonight even though I'm not looking forward to sleeping on this hard ground." She rapped her knuckles on the hard packed dirt and looked up at Luffy with a small grin.

Luffy chuckled lightly and looked around the area they had stumbled into. It wasn't really what would be called a clearing but it was a large enough space in-between the huge trees for the two of them to camp out.

"Ooh, yeah!" He jumped to his feet excitedly and dashed across to the base of one of the trees. "I call this spot!" He yelled out, pointing to a spot where the roots of the tree were raised and created a sort of nook against the tree trunk. Luffy looked back to where he left Nami and gulped nervously. In his haste and eagerness to claim his sleeping spot he hadn't given the orange haired young woman any warning. This unfortunately resulted in Nami losing her only support as Luffy left and winding up flat on the ground.

Nami rolled to the side and propped herself up with the palm of her hand. She glared hard at her childish lover as the fingers of her free hand drummed in an irritated manner and she watched Luffy cringe under her gaze. "Luffy, if you weren't so innocently sweet… I would've killed you already." Nami growled the threat just loud enough for the raven haired young man to hear.

"Heh, sorry, Nami. I'm really sorry. Please don't be angry." Luffy pleaded. He hesitatingly stepped closer, still afraid to get too near the angry woman. He flinched as Nami sat up but she didn't move to smack him on the head again so he figured she couldn't have been that mad at him.

"I guess I should be used to it by now." Nami muttered, running a hand through her long orange hair. She turned to Luffy with her arms crossed over her chest and spoke up louder. "Alright, I'll forgive you, Luffy. On one condition. Tomorrow you let me handle the directions. Maybe then we'll actually get somewhere."

"Shishishi. Okay." Luffy agreed easily and laughed as he sat down next to the tree. _'Whew, that was close. I thought Nami was gonna beat me up for sure.'_

Shaking her head at her lover's carefree attitude Nami only smiled gently at him. Luffy was already poking around the area by the tree, moving any rocks and twigs in his way, and she guessed it was time for her to find a place to sleep here also. _'I suppose I can't really blame him for being extra happy tonight. I have to admit, I'm excited myself. We're finally away from my father and Sanji. As soon as we reach the next town we'll be married and then no one will be able to break us apart again.'_ Nami silently giggled to herself as thoughts of her future with Luffy entered her mind.

Luffy continued to pick up little rocks and sticks on the ground, keeping busy so he wouldn't be noticed watching Nami, or at least he hoped that was the case. She had once said that him staring at her like that was unnerving so he tried to be more discreet about it, he couldn't just _not_ watch her.

He watched Nami as she sat for a few moments more, smiling and giggling to herself. He grinned also, glad that she was happy and laughing again. That was when she was the most beautiful. Then she seemed to pull herself together and look around for a place to sleep. He watched her get up and move to a grassy slope, sheltered somewhat by one of the huge trees across from his. He kept on watching her even after there wasn't any sticks or rocks to clear out of his way anymore. She was now doing the same thing as him, getting all the little things out of the way for a more comfortable place to sleep. Luffy leaned back against the bark of his tree and just watched the woman he loved, the woman he would marry, unashamedly. The way she seemed to move so gracefully in the moonlight was, dare he say, sexy.

Finally Nami was satisfied with her little patch of clover and lay down to sleep. She rolled over to face Luffy but was surprised when he wasn't there anymore. "Luffy…?"

She knew he had been there just a few moments ago, she felt him watching her again. Did he slip away somewhere? Was he grabbed by some wild beast? She sat up in surprise and was about to stand and go look for him but didn't even get that far.

All of a sudden, two arms snaked their way around her shoulders, and she gasped in fright before recognizing the feeling of the embrace. Not only that but the soft snicker was a dead giveaway. "Luffy, you idiot. You scared me." Nami softly scolded her sneaky companion. Looking over her shoulder, where Luffy had rested his head against hers, she tried her best to glare at him but couldn't pull it off for long. Just a few moments looking into those gentle, onyx, eyes and all her annoyance seemed to melt away. "What are you doing? I thought you were tired too."

"I am," Luffy confirmed with a nod, "but I thought of an even better place to sleep tonight. Shishi. Someplace that would be warm and soft." He nuzzled into Nami's neck, his hands moving from her shoulders to around her waist.

Nami shivered as Luffy's warm breath tickled over her delicate skin and his large hands ghosted down her arms and latched around her stomach. His tone was innocent enough but the orange haired woman knew her lover's eyes were shimmering with mischievousness by this point. "Luffy, we can't." She denied him gently; however, she didn't move to stop him as he began to kiss the back of her neck and shoulder.

Luffy absently ran his fingers through his lover's long, soft, orange hair. He truly did love everything about Nami but he didn't think he could ever get enough of her hair. It was the one thing he always had to touch when they were together. When he thought that in just a few days' time he would be able to touch it whenever he wanted, it drove him crazy with impatience. The words she said, trying to get him to stop, were ignored. All he was concentrating on was the feeling of her skin on his lips and delighting in the knowledge that he was the one making her shudder under his soft touch.

Biting back a pleasurable moan, knowing that she was quickly losing this battle, Nami tried one more time to bring sense back into her eager companion- and herself. "Please stop, for my sake, Luffy. We can't do this now."

Half of her groaned in disappointment when Luffy listened this time and pulled away.

"What's wrong, Nami?" Luffy murmured quietly, his lips still hovering barely above the soft, inviting, skin of her shoulder.

"It wouldn't be right. We aren't married yet. It would be shameful if we were to give into ourselves and break the promise we both made so long ago." Nami slowly and almost regretfully pulled away from her raven haired lover's hold, she turned to face him fully, with her own brown eyed gaze meeting his deep black orbs.

"Aren't our hearts already linked together? So that we can almost think of them as one heart. We are joined together by the promises we made to each other. Don't you remember what I promised to you on that day and what you promised to me also?" Luffy asked, a soft grin slowly growing on his lips. He chuckled lightly at the bright red staining Nami's cheeks. "If you'll let me sleep next to you tonight, I promise I won't try anything. I'll respect your wishes and won't forget the vow I made to you on that day. I love you too much to break my word."

"You really do have a way with words, don't you, Luffy? Sometimes it seems you're too smart to be the same carefree guy." She giggled and despite being lost in the middle of the night, in the unfamiliar woods, and unknowing of what the future would bring- Nami felt lighthearted and incredibly happy. "I do trust your word. I trust everything about you, but please, you've got to sleep a bit farther away for tonight. Even though we're here in the middle of the wild forest alone, we have to behave properly."

Nami grinned and pointed her finger at his chest. "It's only right for a well-respected bachelor- like you-" and then she pointed to herself, "and a well-respected lady- like me- to be physically separated like this. We have to wait just a bit longer until we can be together forever. If your love for me remains this strong throughout your entire life I know I will be the happiest woman in the world."

Luffy frowned thoughtfully for a moment and then furrowed his brows in a disappointed pout. "Aw, geez, I guess you got a point. And, you don't have to worry about my love for you disappearing. If I'll have anything to say about it, I'd die before my loyalty to you does." The young man leaned over and, true to his word, chastely kissed his lover on the edge of her mouth. He pulled away, smiling warmly, and slid his traveling coat off. Handing it to Nami, he only nodded when she reached up, questioningly, to take it.

"Thanks, Luffy." Nami whispered in his ear as they lingered by the other's side. Neither seemed ready to part for the night. She reached up to brush her smaller hand over his cheek with a loving touch and as she reached his chin Luffy turned his head to softly kiss the inside of her palm before standing.

"Night, Nami." He returned just as quietly. Luffy walked the few paces across to the little nook, where he had originally intended to sleep, and settled in a comfortable position where he could still easily see Nami when he opened his eyes the next morning. He watched her bundle up his coat like a pillow and rest her head on it, also looking in his direction, and they stayed there like that.

The two young lovers, both tired from their wanderings, watched each other until they fell asleep just a few minutes after they lay down to rest. Neither one knew what the next day would bring, nor in truth, what even the next few hours would bring.

If they had, they might've chosen to stay home.

Only a few minutes after Luffy and Nami slipped off to sleep, worn out as they were, the peacefulness of the forest was once again disturbed. This time the commotion belonged to the Fairy King's servant, Ace, as he wandered into the area.

Ace sighed in exasperation and ran his hand through his wild black hair. "Man, I've been around the entire forest already, and I still haven't found any traces of the Athenian people. Zoro is gonna be so pissed at me if I don't find that guy to use this flower on." The trickster fairy stopped on the topmost tree branch. From this vantage point he could see a lot farther across the wild forest, however, it didn't help him much at spotting things on the ground. Hopping quickly back down the tree, he landed easily at the base, and was more than surprised to find someone resting there. He bent over the stranger and examined him in a closer range. "Let's see, this guy's got some fancy lookin' clothes, and some real nice boots." Ace turned to look around him and spotted another person sleeping not too far away. "And, it seems you're traveling with a pretty young lady."

Indeed, the wild fairy messenger had stumbled upon the quiet forms of Luffy and Nami, sleeping under his very feet. Suddenly Ace snapped his fingers and grinned triumphantly. "Wait a minute, this must be the guy Zoro was talkin' bout. After all, how many Athenian men would be wandering around the forest at night? The girl is sleeping over here, too. He's such a cruel and heartless bastard to leave a beauty such as her in the damp, cold, dirt." Ace angrily muttered as his gaze shifted between the slumbering pair.

He didn't even know the guy and yet still wanted to beat some manners into him. Not even the trickster would've treated such a fine lady in such a despicable way.

Ace pulled out the delicate little flower he had found for the king. He looked the flower over in curiosity, not doubting Zoro's words, but still wondering how the flower's juice would help the situation. The freckle faced fairy did as told, however, and leaned back over the rude stranger. He wouldn't dare try to defy the king's orders. Ace took his part of the purple flower and poured its sap like juice onto the Athenian citizen's closed eyes.

"What an ungrateful human!" Ace cursed as the juice covered the sealed lids of the sleeping man. "I throw all the power of this magic charm on your eyes. When you wake up, love will keep you from going back to sleep. After I leave here, only then will you open your eyes, and now I have to report back to my king and tell him I'm done with this. Good luck." He grinned sarcastically to the human who dared call himself a gentleman. Ace stood up straight again and silently turned back to the orange haired Athenian woman. "My beautiful lady, even though it pains me to have to let such a radiant creature such as you go without knowing you fully, I'm glad to know this pathetic wretch will finally return your devotion."

With a gracious bow to the slumbering woman and a last look of contempt for the man, the king's messenger raced with the wind, back to the spot where Zoro would be waiting. If all went as planned, the Fairy King would be very happy with tonight's work.

=0=0=

Well, I think Ace might've made a mistake somewhere along the way. What do you think?

Review please.


	9. Loves Blinding Confusion

New chapter. New chance for people to review. Right? =)

Dis: Don't own anything

**Chapter Seven  
>Loves Blinding Confusion<strong>

While the two slumbering lovers continued in their blissful ignorance, somewhere nearby another pair noisily continued their quest through the dark forest. The blond nobleman stomped through the underbrush. Sanji's bad mood had only gotten worse as the night wore on and the blue haired annoyance behind him didn't help matters. He had tried to lose her in the dense trees, but she was like a clinging sticker bush. He just couldn't rid himself of her.

The panting woman struggled to keep up with Sanji's longer gait. Vivi knew he was trying to lose her but there was no way she'd allow that, besides, she didn't know the way back to the city without him. "Sanji, please, stop." The young woman begged breathlessly. Her forced escort was a few yards away now and she could only see his bright yellow hair in the darkness. "Oh, please, at least stop just to kill me."

"I'm telling you to get lost." Sanji growled. He paused only long enough to glare over his shoulder at the foolishly obsessed girl. "For the hundredth time, don't follow me around like this."

Vivi had backed up a step at the blonde's glare but then he started moving forward again. The blue haired girl only hesitated for half a second but when an owl hooted loudly above her head she shrieked and ran after Sanji as quickly as she could. "No, you wouldn't leave me all alone in the dark like this, would you? Don't, I beg you." Even though she ran after him, the blonde was still far quicker than she was, and he was already lost in the darkness. Vivi bent over, hands on her knees, as she tried to catch her breath. Trying to keep up with Sanji for who knows how long had worn her out.

"I'm out of breath from chasing that man all around these woods in the dark. The more I pray, the less I seem to get out of it. Nami is so lucky, wherever she is." The young Athenian lady straightened up and wiped her brow, it was a really warm night. _'Well, at least I won't catch a cold if I happen to fall asleep out here.' _Vivi leaned up against a tall tree, she was sure she had never walked so far at the same time before in her life. It seemed strange that after everything she had gone through the last couple of days all she could think about was Nami and how much better she was. _'Her eyes are so bright so it's no surprise Sanji chases after her. What evil, deceitful, mirror made me think I could hold a candle to her?'_

A soft noise sounded close to her and Vivi let out a fearful 'eep' as she jumped away from the tree. The unknown sound had come from around the large tree trunk. _'Oh, what could it be now? A wolf? A bear? Some vengeful spirit come to torture me?'_ The noise came again and curiosity finally got the better of her.

Stepping lightly around the wide base of the tree the scared young woman found a dark lump on the ground. The clouds were passing over the moon, which caused the dark forest to become even darker. Vivi leaned in closer to get a better look at the big thing on the ground, from which the sound was coming, and was surprised to see a human lying there instead of some wicked beast.

And it wasn't just any human, it was Luffy.

Vivi kneeled on the ground next to the still body. She couldn't see any injuries or blood and he seemed to be breathing. Or, in fact, snoring. Which was the sound she had heard before, now that she listened closely. Vivi touched his shoulder, hoping he was alright, and wondering where Nami was. "Luffy?! Is that you? Are you hurt or maybe dead? If you're alive, wake up." Luffy could be heard mumbling sleepily, something to do with breakfast, and then his eyes blinked open.

"Nami…hungry, where's breakfast?" Luffy murmured tiredly as he was woken up by a familiar female voice. In his mind he naturally thought it was Nami and it was morning already, though it felt like he didn't sleep but an hour. The raven haired man rubbed his eyes free of sleep and sat up. When he focused on the person in front of him he was totally surprised to find, not Nami, but the worried grey eyes of Vivi.

Luffy blinked once, then twice, and afterwards she was all he could think about. It seemed like Nami was a faraway memory. "Vivi, waking up is such a trivial thing to do for you, I'd run through fire if you told me to. I feel like I can finally see into your heart, like magic, and it is leading me to you." The young man shifted his eyes both left and right, clearly looking for something. Vivi was about to ask but she was beaten to it. "Where's that fool, Sanji? I'd kill the very name if I could."

"Don't say that, Luffy. Why do you still care that he loves Nami? She still loves you, so be happy with her." Vivi sounded taken aback by the hostility coming from the usually laid back Luffy. She had never heard him seriously threaten like that before.

The young man scoffed, almost turning it into a nasty laugh, and straightened up to look more directly at the woman in front of him. "Happy… with Nami? What a joke. No way. I regret all the time I wasted with that woman. I can suddenly see that I love you after all." Luffy stood to his feet and grabbed hold of Vivi's hands, even though she tried to back away from him. "I mean, who wouldn't love a dove more than an ugly crow? You're simply the logical choice for my love, and many a man's desire is influenced by his logical mind."

Vivi was shocked into silence as she continued to try and back away from, what she assumed to be, a man who had lost his mind. _'Okay, keep calm. Luffy has obviously gone a bit moon-mad. Why else would he be saying all these things to you instead of Nami? Speaking of which, where is Nami?'_

"I think my mind has more control over my emotions than it used to. It's telling me to look into your eyes, where I can see every love story ever told, and ours will be added to it." Luffy kept edging forward, even as Vivi kept stepping back. It was an awkward sort of dance and one that Luffy didn't seem to want to stop.

"N-No… you really did lose your mind, didn't you?" The young woman gasped. She stared directly into Luffy's grinning face as he merely chuckled.

"Yes, I did lose my mind. I lost it the moment I saw your sparkling beauty hovering above me like an angel of light." The raven haired young man murmured dreamily as he reached up to try and touch Vivi's cheek.

The blue haired woman glared and finally yanked her hands free of him. "I know what this is now, you can't fool me." Vivi, now free of his grip, hurriedly backed away a few steps. "Why does everyone feel the need to pick on me in such a way? This is nothing but sport to you. It's surely wrong for you to say such cruel and disdainful things to me." She whirled around, fully intent on leaving the hateful man behind as she searched for Sanji. "This is goodbye. I have to say, I thought you were kinder than this, Luffy." With that very clear dismissal, the young woman stalked off into the surrounding forest.

Luffy watched after her disappearing form for a second, then blinked, and looked around the small clearing. The orange haired woman he'd been traveling with looked to be still soundly asleep. He grinned wider when he realized Vivi hadn't seen Nami. "It's a good thing she didn't notice. You just keep sleeping over there, Nami, and don't come after me. People always hate the mistakes they made in the past more than anyone else and you are the mistake I used to make. So I hate you more than anyone else does. From now on I'll use all my efforts to serve Vivi, as she is more worthy of my attention."

Without even a final look back at the young woman, Luffy walked off between the trees, following Vivi. Trying to get her to talk to him and convince her of his undying love.

Not even two minutes after everything took place in the small clearing the orange haired woman, who was left behind, jerked awake with a loud gasp of fear. "Luffy, help me! Get this snake away from me!" She flailed around in the dark for a few moments and then sat up panting with fear. Quickly looking around she realized that there was no snake. "Oh, geez, it was only a dream. A horrible one at that."

Rolling over on the ground, she looked toward where she last left Luffy, asleep against the tree. "Luffy, are you awake? I had such a nightmare. A huge snake, wearing a skull as a helmet, was trying to eat me in one bite. I called for you but you suddenly disappeared." There was no sound from the other side of the clearing to indicate that Luffy had heard her. Nami squinted when the moon was hidden behind some clouds, it was making it rather difficult to see anything in the forest. She stood up to investigate and immediately saw the problem.

Luffy was GONE!

"Luffy? Luffy, can you hear me?!" Nami called loudly into the night and not bothering to care what else could hear her. _'What could've happened?'_ She was beginning to panic now and couldn't help but think the worst. "Oh, god, where are you? Say something if you're around here somewhere, please." The orange haired young woman took several deep breaths and tried to think about the situation. "Okay, okay, wait… Don't panic. Knowing Luffy, he probably just got lost in the dark. Yeah, that has to be it. Well, in that case, I'll just have to find him." Nami nodded and steeled herself to go trekking through the dark and dangerous forest alone. On second thought she grabbed Luffy's cloak that he'd left behind also.

XxXx

Unknowing of the little drama happening in the very same forest, an oblivious Ussop was stubbornly trying to find his friends, even though they had run in fear from him. The curly haired young man wandered throughout the dark forest wondering why his group had abandoned him and their rehearsal. "Hey, come'n, what's going on here? Why are they all running away like that? Is this some kinda joke to scare me?" Then the poet had a sudden thought and he paused in the middle of his stumbling. _'Wait a minute; I can see what they're up to. Those guys are trying to trick me. They're trying to make me look like a simple, dumb, ass. It was their plan to scare me with this little charade. Well, in that case, I won't play along with this any longer. I refuse to move from this spot, no matter what they do to try and fool me. I'll even walk up and down here in this clearing and sing happily so they know I'm not afraid.'_

So, Ussop plastered a great big grin on his face and started strolling around the dark forest clearing, as if he were taking a casual walk through the park. He swung his arms jauntily as he hummed and eventually started singing.

"The blackbird with its black feathers  
>And its orange and tan beak,<br>The thrush with its clear voice,  
>The wren with its small, piping chirp-"<p>

High above, in the breezy treetops, the fairy queen's eyes fluttered. Slowly stirring out of a deep sleep Robin awoke to hear the noise being made down below. The raven haired royalty rolled over in her leafy bed and peered over the edge to see what exactly had caused her to wake. Briefly she wondered where her servants were but everything was pushed from her mind the moment she spied the tanned, strapping, young creature singing on the forest floor beneath her. Though she had never seen a human man with the head of a donkey before she was enraptured with him.

"The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,  
>The gray cuckoo with his simple song<br>That many men hear  
>But they don't dare say no to it-<br>Of course they don't say no!  
>Who'd waste his time talking to a stupid bird?<br>Who'd bother to accuse a bird of lying, even if the  
>Bird was telling him that his wife was cheating?"<p>

As the young human-like creature ended his song Robin knew that she had fallen in love with him. It was, as the mortals said, love at first sight. As the unknown visitor made to leave the clearing, looking decidedly disappointed, the queen herself spoke down to him. "Please, will you sing again? Your voice is so sweet on the night air. I know this is the first time I've ever seen you, but you're so handsome and wonderful, that I can't help swearing that I love you."

Ussop, startled slightly by the unseen feminine voice from the treetops, spun on his heel once and then looked up. To his great surprise there was a gorgeous woman lounging in what appeared to be a wide hammock of vines, leaves, and flowers. "I-I... I don't think you've got many reasons to love me. But, to tell the truth, reason and love have very little to do with each other. It's too bad some mutual friend of theirs doesn't introduce them." The poet chuckled nervously at his bad joke. In truth, he didn't know this woman and had no idea as to why she would be out in the middle of the forest in the middle of the night. As far as he could say, however, he didn't much care. The beauty could be an evil spirit for all he cared, as stunning as she was with the moonlight shining down on her raven tresses.

"You are as wise as you are beautiful." The fairy queen complimented, watching as the pale light of the moon bathed the stranger, the gray fur on his head shone silver.

The young storyteller's scoffing chuckle turned to that of a donkey. His choking bray cut short as the shocking sound reached his own long ears. "Well, that was weird. Never done that before, it's the strange moon tonight, you know." Ussop tried to explain away what he was sure was an embarrassing moment in front of the spirit. He knew that's what she had to be for all her mystical beauty. He coughed again, clearing his throat. "But, no, what you say isn't true. If I were smart enough, I'd figure a way out of this forest, and I'd be more than happy with that."

"Don't bother wishing you could leave this forest, because you're going to stay here, whether you want to or not." Robin made only a slight motion of her hand and instantly her power responded. With a squeal of surprise the donkey headed man was off solid ground and gently floating up to her. The bed of leaves and vines was more than big enough for the both of them and Robin wasn't about to let the handsome stranger wander off.

When his feet left the ground Ussop let out a squeal of fright but as he hovered above the ground, watching the dirt get further away, he slowly began to calm. Turning his long, fur covered face upwards; the poet locked his eyes on the apparent goal of his ascension: The treetop hammock.

"I'm no ordinary fairy. I rule over the fairy kingdom, and I love you, so come with me. I'll give you fairies as servants, and they'll bring you jewels from the ocean depths, and sing to you while you sleep on a bed of flowers. I'll turn you into a spirit, like us, so you won't die like humans do." The fairy queen let her power go as Ussop landed softly at her side and she ran her delicate hands over the course grey fur on his nose as she called for her three most faithful servants. "Tashigi, Kaya, Camie! Come here at once!"

The three fairies appeared instantly out of the trees. They knew not to dawdle about when their queen called for them. "Yes, my Queen?" The three of them asked at the same time. They weren't their Lady's favorites for nothing.

Robin turned her attention back to the man at her side. She continued running her fingers along the top of his nose and between his long ears lovingly. "I want you to be kind to this gentleman. Follow him and dance for him. Feed him grapes, blackberries, and sweet figs. Steal the golden honey from the bumblebees for him. Also, light candles when he goes to bed, so that my love will have light when he sleeps and for when he wakes."

Tashigi thought it strange of her queen to ask such a thing, however, this fight with King Zoro had everything topsy-turvy. Maybe it had affected the queen also. When Camie and Kaya bowed low though, the black haired fairy did as well. She dared not disobey a direct order. No matter how strange.

"Now, take good care of him. I noticed something when I woke. The moon looks sad to me and when she cries all the little flowers cry too." Robin rose from the soft bed and looked down at the dozing creature. He had slipped off to sleep as she was petting him. "Don't worry, my love. I will see to this business and return to you."

XxX

The soft moonlight filtered down through the thick layer of leaves to the forest floor below. The dappled shadows half concealed the green haired fairy king as he leaned against an ancient elm. The old gnarled tree towered amongst its brethren. "I wonder if Robin is awake yet, and if she is, what will be the first creature she sees. Well, whatever it is, she is completely in love with it now." The fierce looking royalty pondered to the darkness around him.

Nearby, the rustling of leaves announced the arrival of the king's messenger and servent. As always, a sly grin was upon the freckled face of Ace, the trickster. He greeted his king with a slight bow.

"Ace, it's about time. What's going on? Do tell of the havoc you've created in this forest." A dark and conniving smirk spread across Zoro's face. The news he was most interested in was his revenge against Robin. The plan of the lovers' wasn't nearly as important.

Knowing this and deciding against making the fairy king any angrier at him, Ace got right to the part the king wanted to hear. "Your lady, Robin, is now in hopeless love with a monster." He chuckled, the fairy knew a good trick when he saw it, and this was one. "While she was sleeping in her bed a group of bumbling idiots, workmen from Athens, got together to rehearse a play they plan to perform on Shanks's wedding day. The stupidest one, who played Pyramus, finished his scene and went to sit in the bushes to wait for his next cue. I took that opportunity to stick a donkey's head on him." Ace couldn't help but brag a bit, the prank he played on the group of hapless players was too funny to keep to himself. And it did tie into what Zoro wanted to know. "When it came time for him to reemerge and speak his lines, he came out of the bushes, that's when everyone saw him. His friends ran away, as fast as the hound after the hare. They were all so afraid that they lost all sense. They left sweet Pyramus there. Transformed into such a strange, ugly, creature. At that moment, Robin woke up and immediately fell in love with an ass."

Ace finished his tale but didn't have to wait long to find the king's reaction. Zoro seemed to be taking in all the information, savoring, more like, and then he burst into laughter. The green haired royal warrior nearly doubled over with mirth at the news of his wife. _'It is more than I could've hoped for. I knew I could trust Ace with this. This is just too good.'_ He laughed like he hadn't in a long time but finally found control of himself after a few minutes.

"Congratulations, Ace, you have exceeded my expectations. It couldn't have gone better if I'd planned it." Zoro, spoke, straightening himself, and smirking happily at his friend. "Now that's out of the way and much to my satisfaction. I must know of our other plan. What of the Athenian lovers? Have you put the love juice from the flower on the eyes of that pathetic man, as I told you?"

Happy this was going so well and smoothly Ace answered with a confident nod. "Yep, I found him asleep. So that's taken care of too. The woman was sleeping near him and when he wakes up, he will surely see her."

Faint voices rose up from the otherwise quiet forest surroundings and the two fairies looked in the direction the noise was coming from. For some reason Ace had the distinct impression that this part of the wood was unusually busy tonight. Neither king nor servant worried about being seen, they were both invisible to the human eye, and they watched the pair of Athenians wander into sight.

When King Zoro caught sight of the two he frowned deeply. Ace, seeing this, gulped. The green haired royal whipped around to glare at his freckle faced trickster. "That is the man who refuses a woman's love, what is he doing with another if you completed your task?"

"That's definitely the same woman but not the same man." Ace backed up, waving his hands, so as not to incur the king's wrath. Anymore than he had, at least. The freckled fairy glanced back to the two people walking, unknowingly, past the two spirits. _'I'm sure it's the same orange haired woman, how many could there be in this forest?'_

Sanji led the way for the clearly upset woman that accompanied him. He looked much more disheveled than he was sure he had ever been in his life. His hair was messed up and his clothes were dirty and torn. A night spent lost in this forest was not a high point in his life. Not to mention the woman he adored was even colder toward him than before. "Nami, I don't understand, why are you acting so rude to me? I love you so much, that kind of attitude should be saved for your worst enemy."

The orange haired woman scoffed harshly and turned her face away from the pleading man in front of her. "I'm only scolding you now, Sanji, but I should treat you much worse. I'm afraid you've given me good reason to curse you like this." Nami stopped walking and glared hard at her unwanted suitor. _'I can't believe he followed me out here. How did he even know? Wait! Does that mean my father does too?'_ She paled a little at that thought. Her father would surely try to kill Luffy if he found him first. Is that why Sanji was out here? "If you've killed Luffy while he was sleeping, then you're already up to your ankles in blood. He was more faithful to me than the sun is to daytime. Would he have snuck away from me while I was asleep?" Nami demanded harshly, whirling to face the blonde with a glare that could freeze a viper.

Sanji took a step back in shock. Nami's words were sharp and if he didn't know better he'd have thought she hated him.

"I'll believe that the same second I'll believe that there's a hole in the center of the earth and the moon passes through it to reach the other side. The only possibility is that you killed him. A murderer should look like you do, so pale and grim." The orange haired woman sneered, scowling toward her present company.

"My dear Nami, what you describe is what someone who's been murdered should look like. Now you tell me that's how I look. It hurts. You've pierced me through the heart with your words. Yet, you, the murderer, look as bright and clear as a star in the sky." The young man all but fell to his knees in his praise of the girl.

Sighing, Nami only kept her glare. _'That's his answer for everything. If it wears a dress flatter it until it gives in.'_ Not to mention he was trying to steer the conversation away from the main topic. "What does that have to do with Luffy? Where is he? Please. Sanji, help me find him." In the same breath she turned from scolding him to begging him. It was that desperate of a situation for her.

"I'd rather feed his dead corpse to my dogs." Sanji growled. His eyes narrowed in dislike as he gazed at his surroundings. In his view this whole debacle was Luffy's fault.

"You bastard!" Nami suddenly yelled out. Rage was clear in her dark brown eyes as she stepped dangerously into Sanji's personal space. "You did kill him, didn't you? From now on you are not even a human being to me. Just tell the truth for once." She stomped her foot once on the hard earth and pushed against his chest. Sanji allowed himself to stumble back. Nami could feel tears threaten to break through her defenses but she pushed them back. That was one thing she wouldn't give Sanji: The offer to comfort her.

Taking a shaky breath and reigning in her flaring temper Nami didn't even attempt to hide the accusing and sarcastic tone. "Did you kill him while he was sleeping? That was so brave of you. A snake could do that as easily as you could. No snake ever had a more forked, lying, tongue than you do."

"Calm down, Nami. You're getting all worked up over nothing. It's a misunderstanding. I didn't kill Luffy! As far as I know, he's not even dead." The blonde raised his hands in a placating gesture and finally spoke in a truthful voice. His blue eyes were honest as he looked down at the young woman with him.

Nami saw this and believed him. She finally lowered her claws and took a step back. Looking around the dark trees she suddenly didn't know what to think. "Then," she paused, "can you at least tell me if he's okay?"

Sanji cocked a brow and smirked, getting some of his attitude back when Nami lowered her defenses. "What would I get if I told you that?"

Instantly Nami was back on the defensive as she turned a deep frown on the young man. Her eyes growing from worried to cold. "How 'bout the privilege of never seeing me again. And right now I'm going to leave your despised company. You'll never see me again whether or not Luffy's dead or alive." She whirled on her heel and in a flash of moonlit orange the woman stalked out of sight.

Sinking against the nearest tree Sanji breathed in deep. The warm night air helped to calm him and let him think clearly. _'Obviously that wasn't the best thing for me to say.'_ He yawned to himself. It was extremely late into the night and it wasn't like he'd been relaxing beforehand. The blue eyed gentleman glanced after Nami, hoping to see the swish of her skirts returning through the trees, but even he knew it was a long shot. "I'd better give her some space. Having her yell at me constantly isn't helping. She's too worried about that idiot to think straight. Sadness gets worse when you haven't had enough sleep. I'll rest here and go after her in a bit." Sanji yawned again and leaned back against the rough bark. His eyes drooped almost as soon as he felt his muscles relax and he was soon asleep.

=0=0=

And we are done… for now.


	10. Conflicts Arise

Yea! I'm so glad I'm done with this chapter. It was easier to write than most, I just had to find the time.  
>Anyway, enough of my whining. Enjoy the surprises Ace has in store for the two crossed lovers next.<p>

Dis: One Piece is mine! All Mine! (insert evil laugh)

**Chapter 8****  
><strong>Conflicts Arise<strong>**

An owl hooted somewhere off in the distance. Crickets and cicadas chirped noisily in the moonlight. A blonde nobleman dozed lightly in the shadow of the great forest. Sanji was understandably tired. His mind and body worn out from the long day and trek after his love and the one that stole her away. All the while, unbeknownst to the mortal, a certain mischievous fairy was about to get his butt kicked.

Zoro loomed over his confused messenger. The freckled fairy could only gape at the scene that had just played out before them. "What did you do?" Ace flinched away from his king. "You've made a huge mistake and put the love juice on someone else. Because of this, someone's true love must have turned bad, instead of changing this man's false infatuation into true love."

Backing away out of easy reach Ace, in his laid back nature, tried to laugh it off. "In that case, it must be fate. That's the way of the world anyway. For every man whose faithful to his heart's love, a million end up running after a different lover." He shrugged his shoulders carelessly, sneakily trying to back away.

As quick as the trickster was, however, he wasn't fast enough to avoid Zoro's next move. With lightning speed the fairy king whipped out and snatched the freckled servant back to his side. Ace wouldn't escape that easily. "You are going to fix this, my friend." The king growled low into his messenger's ear. "Go, search around the forest, moving faster than the wind, and find Vivi of Athens. She's love sick and her face is pale as the moon. Bring her here with one of your tricks and I'll put the charm on this man's eyes for when she comes." With only a slight tightening of his grip Zoro let his subordinate know how serious he was.

Ace nervously backed away, nodding intently as he did so. "Yeah, you got it. I'll do exactly as you say and go as quickly as a Spartan arrow." With a flash of wind through the dark leaves, the trickster was gone on his errand. Knowing he had screwed up, there was no way he'd fool around with the King's orders now.

With the swift exit of Ace, the fairy king moved with the power and grace of a stalking tiger, up to the snoozing Athenian. Zoro knelt down and brought out his half of the small flower. A scowl of disgust crossed his features as he stared down at the pathetic excuse for a man. "Sink into this man's eyes, pretty flower, struck by cupid's arrow. When he looks upon the girl he should love, make her seem as bright to him as the evening stars." Zoro passed his finger over Sanji's closed lids, spreading the love juice over his sight in the process. A slight noise of Ace's voice alerted the king that his servant had done at least one thing right and the ill-fated young woman was on her way.

Then suddenly Ace was by the king's side again. There was a distinctly sly smile on the spirit's face, one that spoke of future mischief to be had, even in spite of his earlier reprimand. "The other woman is nearby, Lord Zoro. The young man I mistook for that one is there too, begging her to love him. We should really stay and watch this ridiculous scene play out? What fools these mortals be!"

The fairy king rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. _'Sometimes I just don't know about him.'_ Zoro shook his head and waved the trickster off. Seeing the way Ace immediately did as told made the magical monarch smirk. He knew his servant was wary of him now. "Step aside, the noise those two are making will wake him up soon enough. They're being loud enough to be heard in the underworld."

"Then the two of them will be pursuing that one poor girl." Ace chuckled. His impish nature often overriding his inner warning voice. "That'll be so funny to watch. And, as you know, my Lord. Preposterous situations are my favorite thing." Zoro merely rolled his eyes.

"Why do you think I keep making fun of you?" Luffy's voice could be heard in the darkness, preceding the young man and the hurt and confused Vivi. "When I say that I love you, it feels like my heart is so full. I want you to have anything you want even if it's the moon itself. And, who would say something like that? Someone who's truly in love, that's who." The pair of young travelers stepped into the fairy's sight and out of the deep shadows of the old trees. Vivi was leading, trying to get away from Luffy, and he was pleading after her. Looking all the part of a lost little puppy.

Zoro and Ace continued to watch in silence. The trickster barely concealing his laughter behind his hand and the King merely waiting for Sanji to wake and see the girl. He would make sure things would be set right this time. The fairy ruler wasn't so cruel as to leave the pair of lovers in this situation, especially since it was partially his fault.

Finally it seemed the fair tempered Vivi had gone through enough. She whirled on the unsuspecting raven haired man with a glare. "You get trickier and trickier. You've made the same promises to both me and Nami and they can't both be true! So, they must both be false then. These promises you're making belong to Nami. Will you suddenly abandon her? If you weighed the promise you made to me against the ones you've offered her, they'd come out the same, they weigh nothing. They're nothing but lies."

"I wasn't thinking clearly when I made those promises to her." Luffy explained. He didn't think Vivi would strike out at him but he was careful to back up and out of her reach anyway.

"And, I don't believe you're thinking clearly now, as you are breaking those promises." Though the blue haired young woman didn't move to hit her suddenly infatuated friend, she did ball up her fists and place them securely on her hips. At the moment she looked very much like an irritated Nami.

Luffy scowled at his unsuccessful attempts to pursued Vivi of his pure intentions. _'This has to be Sanji's fault. He's treated her so badly that my beautiful Vivi doesn't trust me anymore.'_ He just had to make her see that he had learned the error of his ways and his heart had spoken. "Sanji loves Nami; he can have her, because he doesn't love you."

The two were so into their argument they didn't even notice the blonde sleeping on the other side of the giant tree, however, the noise both Luffy and Vivi were making was enough to wake Sanji. Yawning, Sanji's eyes cracked open, and he heard the two familiar voices. _'Is that Luffy? Hey, that means Nami is with him. I finally found her!'_ He sat up quickly and leaned around the tree. It just so happened that Vivi was the one his eyes caught on first, her light blue hair flashed in the pale moonlight, and he was drawn to it before anything else.

"Oh, Vivi," the nobleman exclaimed. Instantly he forgot all about his true target in Nami and the only one on his mind now was the blue haired girl. "You are such a divine and perfect goddess! What can I compare your eyes to? Crystal isn't as clear they are. Your lips are as ripe as a pair of tempting cherries. Oh, let me kiss your beautiful hand. It'll make me so happy!" Sanji leapt from his position half hidden in the shadows and grabbed hold of Vivi's hand in order to kiss it gently.

The girl gasped in surprise, not expecting the sudden appearance of the one that had left her alone. Though now she'd had just about enough. Sanji's words slowly sunk into her shocked brain. However, instead of blushing and stuttering around like she normally did, Vivi snapped. The combination of being hungry, tired, and teased (in her mind) by Luffy did her in. "Dammit! I see you're all determined to gang up on me for a few laughs." The blue haired young woman jerked her hand out of Sanji's and glared heatedly around at the two men who were now staring at her. "If you had any manners at all, you wouldn't treat me like this. Can't you just hate me, as I know you do, does this humiliation have to continue?" The girl stamped her foot angrily and hot tears threatened to overflow her cheeks.

Both boys glared at each other, each blaming the other for making poor Vivi so upset.

Vivi continued, now so upset she couldn't stop her rant if she wanted to. "You're competing for Nami's love and now you are both competing to see which one can make fun of me the most. Whoever said competing is a good thing, is a fool. Such a great idea, a really manly thing to do, making a poor girl cry! No respectable person would offend an innocent girl just to have some fun."

Luffy scowled over at Sanji and when he saw that Vivi was about to cry he got even angrier. Stepping past the upset woman he grabbed hold of Sanji's collar but the blonde didn't budge. "Don't be so cruel, Sanji. I know you love Nami and you know I know." Sanji scoffed and swatted Luffy's hand away. The raven haired man didn't back down but didn't move to grab the other again. "Right here and now I swear I'm giving up my claims to her and handing her over to you. In exchange, give up your claim to love Vivi, since I love her and will love her 'til I die."

"Nobody has ever gone to so much trouble just to make fun of one person." Vivi murmured, more to herself, as the two boys were busy challenging each other. She looked back and forth between them, somewhat lost in their manly exchange.

"Luffy, you can keep Nami. I don't want her. If I ever loved her, all that love is gone now. My love for her was only a temporary thing. Now Vivi is the one I crave for." Sanji waved off any thoughts of finding out where Nami was and taking her back to the city. At this moment all he wanted was the beautiful Vivi.

"That's not true, Vivi, you should know it by now." Luffy turned to the girl and finally paid her attention. He gazed at her intently, trying without words to pursued her of his truth. His dark eyes shifted only when Sanji stepped up beside him.

"Don't dare insult a deep love like ours. You couldn't possibly understand. You'll be sorry if you do." The nobleman threatened Luffy. A deadly glare passed between them, more than words could say. Then there came a slight interruption in the form of another person blundering through the bushes and undergrowth. Blacked by nightly shadows it wasn't until Nami entered the small gap in the trees where everyone was gathered that anyone realized she was there. Sanji was the one to spot her first. "Look, here comes Nami, the woman you truly love." As the orange haired woman walked into a patch of moonlight, that had illuminated the area in a silvery light, Vivi and Luffy turned to the new arrival.

Nami looked around the group. She glared at Sanji. Her eyes widened at seeing her best friend, Vivi. Then they found the object of her worried search. Luffy was there beside Sanji, in one piece, and safe. She heaved a visible sigh of relief and closed her eyes in silent thanks to the gods.

Frowning uncharacteristically, Luffy didn't move to greet the woman he supposedly loved. Instead he glanced rather coldly at her barging in on his attempts to win Vivi's heart.

Not seeming to notice the unwelcome atmosphere she had walked into, due to her happiness at finding Luffy alive, Nami stepped past Sanji and Vivi. Naturally heading right toward her love. "You know it's hard to see in this dark part of the forest but it's way easier to hear. I couldn't see you, Luffy, but I heard you a ways back. That's how I was finally able to find you again. Why on Earth did you wander off anyway?" Nami asked comfortingly. She thought maybe he'd had a nightmare, like what woke her, and had taken a walk to clear his head. Then subsequently gotten lost.

Luffy looked down on the girl with bored eyes and rolled his shoulders in an uncaring shrug. "Why stay when Love is telling me to go?" His voice was distant and not at all like it usually sounded. If he noticed her confusion at his words at all, he didn't show it.

Brows furrowing in a mix of confusion and beginning worry Nami tried to understand what Luffy could mean with that statement. Now that she thought about it, he was acting differently than before. _'When we went to sleep I know he was the same loving man I had always known. Now though,'_ Nami took another deeper look into her lover's eyes, _'I can't put my finger on it but he seems colder.'_

In hope this was some misunderstanding, Nami smiled nervously, and waved her thoughts away. "But, Luffy, what love could make you leave me alone?"

A dreamy look entered his eyes as he turned toward the other girl standing with them. Luffy held a hand out to Vivi, bringing Nami's attention to the previously forgotten pair. "I had to hurry after my lovely, beautiful, Vivi. She lights up the night better that all the stars in the sky." The raven haired man lost his glazed expression when he shifted his gaze to scowl at the woman he left behind. "Why were you looking for me anyway? Didn't you figure out that I left you because I hate you?"

Vivi twitched when she heard Luffy say that he hated Nami. She knew it couldn't be true, but then, Luffy always was a bad liar. _'How could anyone switch his heart like that? I have to be right. It is nothing but a joke to them.'_

Nami's eyes widened when Luffy said that to her, there's no way it was true. "Stop joking like that, idiot. It's not in the least bit funny. I know you can't possibly mean that." She chuckled uneasily, thinking it must be some ill-timed joke on Luffy's part.

"So, you're in on this too?!" Vivi accused angrily, mistaking Nami's laugh to be at her expense. The blue haired woman glared at her once close friend, a deep frown etched on her face. "Now I see that all three of you have gotten together to play this cruel trick on me. You're such a hurtful girl, Nami. Have you been planning with these two on this elaborate plan to tease me? Have you forgotten the close friendship we had?" Vivi fought against her tears again, this was no time to be weak. She would just give these people satisfaction if she cried now. It still hurt though, that Nami didn't care about the friendship they used to have. "Don't you remember our promises to be like sisters to each other? We used to sit together, in our childhood, and sew on one piece of cloth. We would talk of our future and the men we would each marry. Do you really want to destroy all that by joining with these men to insult your close friend? It's not very friendly or ladylike. All women would be angry with you for doing it, even though I'm the only one who's hurt by it."

"What the hell are you saying, Vivi? Have you gone moon-mad? I'm not insulting you. It sounds more like you're insulting me." Nami's confusion quickly turned to anger. It was easy enough now to understand just how Sanji found her and Luffy in these woods tonight. _'And, what the hell is Vivi talking about a trick for? If anyone is tricked it's me, thinking she was someone I could confide in.'_

Stamping her foot in anger and pointing a trembling finger in the other girl's direction Vivi forgot that she was the one who had broken Nami's confidence. "Come on and confess, Nami. Didn't you send Luffy, as an insult, to follow me around? Praising and complimenting me?" She ignored Luffy's vehement head shaking in denial.

It was something of a struggle for Nami to keep her composure as Vivi laid down accusation after accusation. Her nerves were already frayed by the experiences of the night, and now her temper was starting to flare, thanks to her moon-mad former friend.

Now turning an angry glare to the two boys, who had been silently watching the drama unfold, the blue haired female motioned to them with a harsh movement. "Haven't you made your other love, Sanji, call me a goddess? Also a divine, rare, beautiful, creature? Why does he talk like that to a girl he can't stand? And why does Luffy deny his love for you, when he truly does? Why would he show me any affection, unless you told him to? Why should it matter that I'm not as lucky or as lovable as you are and that the love I feel is unrequited? You should pity me for that reason, not hate me."

"You're starting to sound crazy. I have no clue what you're talking about." Nami scoffed. It was true, no matter what Vivi said, Nami didn't have any idea what trick she was supposedly playing on the opposite girl. Though she was beginning to think Vivi deserved it.

Vivi sneered and turned away from the group, not believing a word they said. "Oh, fine then. Go ahead and keep up your game. Pretend to be sympathetic and then laugh at me behind my back." She scoffed nastily and crossed her arms over her chest. Why was everyone against her? It just wasn't fair. "I know you must want to laugh right now. You're doing such a good job on this trick, someone should write a play about it."

Sanji and Luffy moved at the same time. Both stepping forward to try and comfort the distraught woman. They growled low in their throat in each other's direction, like territorial dogs, and dared the other to back down.

"If you had any sense of pity, or kindness, you wouldn't pretend to fight over me like this. But, I suppose it's partially my own fault, since I did follow you out here. Leaving, or dying, will take care of everything." Vivi made to leave, taking a few steps away from the gathered group, a cloud of depression forming over her.

Seeing his angel about to disappear in the shadows, Luffy broke his glaring contest with Sanji, and he desperately leapt after her. "No wait!" He was able to grab her hand and pull her back a few steps. "Stay here with me, Vivi. You are my life, my love, and my soul."

Vivi's eyes remained on the ground. She refused to look at any of them, knowing she would probably break down in tears if she did. Though she laughed weakly at Luffy's words it was cold and unfeeling. "Yeah, that's a good one."

Nami, taking in this scene, frowned deeply. However, it wasn't at Vivi. "Luffy, that's enough, stop jerking her around. A person's feelings aren't something to play with."

Sanji scowled at his rival but didn't try to take Vivi away by force for fear of upsetting her even more. "If Nami's begging can't get you to stop insulting Vivi, I can force you to." He stepped forward threateningly and Luffy, sensing a building fight, let go of Vivi's hand to meet him.

For a moment the moon was blocked by clouds being blown across the heavens by the mild summer wind. Luffy smirked up at Sanji in defiance as the area was darkened. "You can't force me anymore than Nami can beg me. Your threats are no stronger than her whining." The raven haired nobleman turned his gaze on the blue haired woman who had backed away while Luffy was talking. "Vivi, I love you. I swear I do. I'll give my very life for you, just to prove this worthless guy wrong when he says I'm lying."

"I tell you, Vivi, I love you more than he does." Sanji argued.

"If you're gonna say that, then prove it. Fight me, Sanji." Luffy turned and glared challengingly at the blonde. His muscles tightened under his silk clothes. Luffy was always stronger than Sanji due to being more the outdoors type. Sanji was the truly pampered noble he portrayed himself to be.

"You're on, I won't back down." Sanji growled, even though he knew he wasn't the fighting type.

Confused beyond measure was Nami. The poor girl stared between Sanji, Vivi, and Luffy as if the three had gone stark raving mad in the night. The one thing that managed to break through her mind though was the idea of a fight. She didn't want Luffy to fight Sanji, no matter how much the blonde gave them trouble. Nami didn't want blood on Luffy's hands right when they were starting a new life together. Or, she thought they were, anyway.

Taking a cautious step forward, next to the tense Luffy, Nami grabbed hold of his arm. "What are you doing, Luffy? Where are you going with this?"

It was a gentle hold, only to get Luffy's attention, but the way he reacted was like she had walked up and slapped him. Twisting his head around the dark eyed man scowled down at the girl at his arm. He shook the limb she clung to, as if she were no more than a pesky cat. "Get away from me! Don't get involved."

Laughing sarcastically Sanji waved his hand in Nami's direction. "No, no. He'll act like he's going to break free from you, Nami. Go ahead, Luffy," he switched his attention back to the black haired man. "Pretend like you're going to follow me but then don't come. You're nothing but a coward!"

Visibly grinding his teeth, and barely restraining himself from lunging at the cocky curly-browed noble, Luffy still tried to get Nami to release him. She was determined not to let him go. "Won't you stop hanging on me, you're nothing but a trashy alley cat! Let me go or do I have to shake you off like an annoying thorn?" He saw that she was getting more upset but didn't care, being more concerned with teaching Sanji a lesson.

"What's going on all of a sudden?" Nami pleaded, sounding like she was at her wit's end with the whole situation. "What's happened to you, my love?"

"Your love?" Luffy sneered in a nasty tone, finally succeeding in pulling away from the orange haired woman. "Beat it, woman, I have no further interest in you. Leave me alone finally."

Nami couldn't hold back the tears in her voice any longer. She fought to keep her voice steady but failed miserably. Water threatened to leak down her cheeks and the one man who should care only seemed to be interested in causing these horrible feelings. "This joke isn't funny anymore, Luffy. It is a joke, isn't it?" She sounded desperately hopeful that this was all one big extended joke at her expense. However, the look she got from Luffy dashed all those ideas.

"Of course it is." Vivi sounded confident as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Alright, Sanji, I'm ready to go whenever you are." Luffy balled his fists and rolled his shoulders. He grinned readily, itching to get this started.

Sanji looked mockingly thoughtful as he brought a fist up to his mouth. "I wish we had signed a contract. I can see you don't keep your promises very well and I don't trust you." He smirked as Luffy fumed. Nami was still standing beside him even though she was sure to keep to herself and Vivi was standing alone a few feet to the side.

Cocking his head to the blonde, Luffy furrowed his brows. For the first time he looked confused. "What? Do you want me to hit Nami, hurt her, or even kill her? It's true I hate her but I don't want to hurt her."

Shaking her head slightly, disbelief nearly radiating around her, Nami couldn't stop the water breaking from her closed lids. "Can you hurt me anymore than by saying that you hate me so casually? What's happened to you tonight? I'm still Nami and you're surely still Luffy. You still loved me when we fell asleep but when you woke up you had left me." Lips trembling so much that her voice shook, Nami seemed to lose all strength as she realized what she said, and sank to the ground. Her eyes widened as shock set in. "You've left me? Oh, god! Is this for real?"

Luffy nodded, clearly glad that it was sinking in for Nami, and he wouldn't have to keep telling her. "Yeah, I did and I never want to see you again. So you can stop hoping and wondering what I mean. I've spelled it out as clearly as I can for you. This is no joke." His mind was obviously set but his expression wasn't as dark as before.

_'I can't believe this! Luffy isn't really leaving me for Vivi, is he? He's not really going to fight Sanji for her hand.'_ Nami stared up at the two boys from her position, kneeling on the ground, but they both looked dead serious. _'And am I going to just sit back and let her steal him from me?'_ She asked herself. Nami knew she was no delicate flower, no matter her proper upbringing, and a burning energy suddenly filled her blood. "No!" She jumped to her feet and sent a heated glare to the blue haired girl a few feet away. "You tricky little snake! You lowly thief! What did you do, sneak in at night and steal my lover's heart?" She pointed an accusing finger at Vivi, not yet ready to roll over and give up on Luffy.

Vivi was already upset to start with. First being treated so badly by Sanji after she told him about Nami's escape plan, then being abandoned by him, not to mention this horrible joke everyone was playing on her, and now Nami had gone too far. "Yeah, that's nice. You ought to be ashamed of yourself! You're going to make me mad enough to really answer you back. Damn you, faker, you puppet." The blue haired young woman balled her fists at her sides and growled in a very unlady-like way.

"Puppet? Why a puppet?" Nami asked, tilting her head in confusion. She furrowed her brows in thought but then seemed to get an idea. "Oh, I see where this is going now. You're talking about our difference in height, aren't you? You must've paraded around in front of Luffy, showing off how much taller you are than me." Though in truth Vivi was only an inch or two taller, at the time it sounded like a viable option in Nami's mind. "Does he really have such a good opinion of you because I'm shorter than you? Is that it? So then, how short am I, you painted maypole?"

Luffy's lips twitched a fraction of a second. Something deep inside him said Nami just dealt out a good insult, and funny at that. However, the magic working on him that night clouded his heart and mind, making the feeling last only a split moment.

"Tell me to my face, you have no problem saying it behind my back. I'll tell you, I'm not so short that I can't take you down a notch or two with my own hands." Nami raised a threatening hand in Vivi's direction and stepped forward. She had no reservation about beating the daylights out of the girl.

In fear Vivi backtracked and slid closer to the nearest body of protection. Which happened to be Luffy, probably not the best idea, considering the situation. _'I'm no fighter. What does Nami expect me to do? There's no way I can stand against her.'_ There was no fooling herself, Vivi knew Nami would win any fight. She only had the boys to protect her. "Please, don't let her hurt me, however much you tease me. I never was good with handing out insults. I'm not mean and catty, like her. I'm a nice quiet girl. Please don't let her hit me. Maybe you think I can take her because she's shorter than me but it isn't true."

Nami's face reddened in anger. She was quickly losing her already heated temper. "Gah! You see, she's doing it again. Shorter! It's always Shorter."

Speaking out from behind Luffy's shoulder, Vivi tried to calm the irate young woman, realizing she may have gotten in over her head. "Nami, please don't hate me. I've always loved you and given you advice, like a sister. I've never done anything to hurt you, except once, and that is only this time when I told Sanji your plan to sneak off. I did that only because I love him so much and I also followed him because I love him. But then he threatened to hit me and leave me in this dark place. Now I just want to go back to Athens, I'll go quietly, and won't follow you anymore. I'll carry my mistakes back home with me. Please let me go."

"Well, go on then. What's stopping you?" Nami asked harshly. She waved her arm in a random direction, herself not even sure where the city lay, but wanting Vivi out of her sight.

Eye's wet with unshed tears and sighing, depressed. Vivi seemed to wilt in the darkness. "It's my stupid heart, which I'm leaving here."

Nami glared. "Leaving it with Luffy?"

Vivi instantly shook her head in protest. "No! With Sanji," she squeaked.

Hearing that Vivi was about to leave so dejectedly made Luffy scowl in Nami's direction, the moment of coming to himself now buried in a daze of magic. The young nobleman held out his arm to protectively shield Vivi against whatever Nami might have in mind. "Don't be afraid, Vivi. She can't hurt you when I'm here."

Not to be outdone by anyone, Sanji also stepped up, placing himself between the two girls. "Yes, that's right. Nami won't hurt Vivi, even if you try to help her." He glared at Luffy, not counting him out as a threat.

"I don't know about that." Vivi muttered, looking back and forth between her two protectors, and then at Nami fuming a few feet away. "When she gets angry, she's a good fighter. She's vicious too. She was a little hellcat when we were in school. Despite her small stature."

"Little again? Nothing but 'short' and 'small'! Why are you letting her insult me like this? That does it. Let me at her!" Nami yelled and made a sudden lunge at Vivi, however, there were still two men standing in the way. The orange haired woman didn't make it far in her attack. Luffy, knowing something about Nami, moved before anyone else and grabbed hold of her.

Holding Nami back in a tight grip as the woman struggled in his arms Luffy had to pick her up off the ground in order to keep her from getting free. _'Vivi was right, she is vicious when she's angry.'_ Luffy thought as Nami scratched at his arms. "Leave Vivi alone, and me as well. What love could I give a shrimp like you?" With a shove he pushed Nami aside, making her stumble away from Vivi's direction. The girl managed to keep her balance and not fall but she didn't try to go for the protected Vivi again.

Sanji smirked and casually crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't like any woman to be pushed around but Nami had been trying to attack Vivi after all. "You know, Luffy, you're doing way too much to defend a woman who wants nothing to do with you. Besides, if you continue treating Nami so badly, you'll pay for it."

Scoffing deeply Luffy turned to face the blonde. "Guess what, Sanji? Nami's not hanging on me anymore." He showed the free arm that Nami was holding earlier. "If you have the courage you can follow me and we can fight over who gets Vivi's heart."

A deep chuckle came from Sanji and he shook his head. "Yeah right, like I'd follow you. I'll walk right beside you, Luffy." The curly-browed noble didn't want to follow Luffy like someone who came in second. He would walk next to him and that way also keep a close eye on his rival. It was also symbolic to say he wasn't going to be second to Luffy in anything, especially when a lady was at stake.

=0=0=

Another day, another chapter...

There aren't too many more to go.

Luffy and Sanji are really out for blood aren't they? And poor Vivi has a ticked Nami after her.


	11. Approaching Sunrise

I know it's been a while and sorry about that. It's been getting more difficult to find time to post and write on a schedule. I promise to try harder for the last few chapters. I'm already working on the next chapter. Now without further ado… the disclaimer.

Dis: Luffy and co. belongs to Oda. Anything Shakespearian belongs to history. And I get nothing

**Chapter Nine  
><strong>**Approaching Sunrise**

"Come here, my love, and lay on this soft bed of flowers while I caress your lovable ears." Robin lounged against a lush carpet of beautiful flowers and motioned the donkey-headed poet to her side. "I'll make a wreath of roses and put them on your furry head. I will kiss your long, silky, nose. It really is so lovely, my darling."

Ussop lay on the plush bed of blossoms and snuggled deeply in the arms of the raven haired beauty. He could really get used to this kinda life. "Mm, where's Camie?" The pale fairy stepped forward obediently. "Could you come scratch my head? And Tashigi?"

"Here, sir," Tashigi answered immediately.

"If you would, sneak some of the bumblebee's sweet honey for me. But don't tire yourself out with it." Ussop asked, his eyes closed to the feeling of Camie's hands between his ears and Robin's on his nose. "Kaya, I could use a back rub. It feels stiff." The blonde servant nodded and moved next to Camie.

"Would you like to hear some music, my love?" Robin asked as she paused her stroking of his furry nose.

Ussop opened his eyes and looked up into the clear eyes of the queen. "Yes, it so happens that I do have an ear for music. Let's hear some." He smiled and relaxed again.

Robin motioned to a few of her fairies and they began to play their flutes. "Tell me, what would you like to eat?" She asked him.

The fuzzy headed creature hummed in pleasure. "Now that you mention it, I would like a few pounds of fresh grass. Or maybe some good, dry, oats. I also feel like a bundle of hay, there's nothing quite like some sweet hay in the evening." His stomach rumbled at the thought.

"I have a fairy who knows where the squirrels hide their secret stash," Robin said. "I could have her retrieve some fresh nuts for you."

Ussop yawned, suddenly tired, after his massage and relaxing rub-down. "Yes, that sounds good. I'd like a handful or two of dried peas. For now though, I'm tired, please send your people away and don't let them wake me." His eyes closed and he snuggled deeper into Robin's arms.

"That sounds like a fine idea." The Fairy Queen agreed. She wrapped her arms around her precious love and allowed him to nestle in her bosom. "Fall into a peaceful sleep and I'll cradle you in my arms like a sweet treasure. Fairies, leave us in peace, and go off in all directions." The servants did as ordered and scattered away. Robin turned to gaze lovingly at the donkey-headed man she had taken into her bed. "How I adore you. I can't put into words how much I love you."

The strange pair then fell asleep on the bed of flowers the queen had made.

X

Not too far away from the peaceful sleep of the Fairy Queen was a not so peaceful setting. Nami faced Vivi with a deep set scowl on her face. The blue haired girl wilted under her former friend's glare. "I hope you know, this is all your fault. All this fighting is definitely connected to you, somehow. You stay right there." Nami ordered menacingly. She took a step in Vivi's direction but the other girl wanted nothing to do with it.

"You're the crazy one if you think I'm sticking around here any longer. I may not be as good a fighter as you are but I can run faster than you." Vivi turned and bolted for safety under the canopy of shadows the thick forest provided.

Nami didn't give chase. Instead, she huffed in frustration, and merely watched as the last of Vivi's long hair was swallowed by the night. "I just can't believe any of this. I don't even know what to say." She crossed her arms and began walking after Vivi, if nothing else the girl might lead her to Luffy.

The two women left what they thought was an empty clearing but two other figures had been standing and watching the entire debacle. The green haired Fairy King, Zoro, reached over and slapped Ace on the back of the head. The jokester flinched slightly under his leader's stern gaze. "This is all your fault. You either truly make these mistakes or you do it on purpose." Zoro growled, the humor gone from his voice. The situation was amusing at first but now it proved tiresome and he wanted to make things right with these poor mortals.

"Believe me, King of Illusions, I did make a mistake." Ace insisted immediately. "But, wasn't it you who told me that I'd be able to recognize the man by his Athenian clothes? I've done only what you told me to do. I put the juice of the love flower on an Athenian's eyes." He smirked slightly and raised his hands in defense. "Truthfully though, I'm kinda pleased with the way things are turning out so far. I find all this commotion very entertaining."

Zoro rolled his eyes. _'You would find it funny, even though it causes humiliation to others.'_ He thought with a half frown. That was something his messenger would come up with to say in this situation. He reached over, and despite Ace's attempt to dodge, he grabbed the trickster by his cloak. "As you can see these lovers are looking for a place to fight. Hurry and make the night dark and cloudy. Cover the sky with low hanging fog, as dark as Hell itself, and get these rivals so completely lost in the woods that they can't run into each other. Imitate Luffy's voice and egg Sanji on with insults. Do likewise for Luffy, rant for a while in Sanji's voice to push him forward. That way, you'll get them away from each other until they're so exhausted that they'll sleep like the dead." Zoro handed Ace another flower, different than the love bloom, and tightened his grip on the servant. Ace winced but knew play time was over for him. "When they're asleep, crush some of this flower's juice into Luffy's eyes. This has the power to erase all the damage done to his sight, and to make him see normally again. When they wake up, all this trouble and conflict will seem like nothing but a meaningless dream. Then the lovers will go back to Athens, united together until death. While you're busy with that, I'll pay a visit to the Queen, and ask once again for the young boy. And then I'll undo the spell I cast over her, so she won't be in love with that monster anymore. Then everything will be peaceful again."

Ace sighed dramatically. "Peaceful is so overrated." He quickly backed out of his king's grasp with a nervous chuckle as Zoro leveled a deadly glare in his direction. "But, I'll do as you ask, my lord. We'll have to act fast though, the night is fading quickly, and in the distant horizon the morning star is shining. It is warning us that dawn is approaching."

Zoro let his messenger go with only a serious look to speak of the serious nature he should take this mission. He sighed and looked to the sky through a patch in the leaves. "I actually enjoy the morning. I often wander around the woods until the sun rises in the fiery red sky, over the ocean, turning the salty blue water to gold. But, you should hurry. Don't fool around this time. We have to get this done before daybreak." The king didn't wait for Ace's nod of understanding before disappearing into the shadows.

Ace looked at the flower in his hand. It seemed his night of fun was coming to an end, though not right away. There was still one more trick to be had. And, with that in mind he chuckled to himself, jumping to the treetops. The trickster began singing an old fairy song, one of his favorites, as he searched for the two quarreling rivals.

"Up and down,  
>Up and down.<br>I am feared in field and town.  
>Goblin lead them up and down-"<p>

He heard Luffy first. "-Here comes one now."

Luffy pushed past thick brush, turning around, searching for the blonde nobleman. "Where are you, Sanji, you arrogant bastard?! Say something!"

The jokester fairy dropped down without a sound, just out of sight, and copied Sanji's voice. "I'm over here, you brainless idiot. Ready to kick you into next week for hurting the lovely lady."

"I'm coming, just you wait." Luffy called and started off in the direction Ace was leading.

"Let's go to a flatter area where we can fight more easily. It's too rocky here." Ace suggested in the other man's cocky tone. He couldn't help but grin when Luffy, all worked up, unknowingly stormed past him.

Sanji crossed the raven haired man's path seconds afterward. "Luffy, you better say something, or are you hiding in the bushes somewhere?! Such big talk for a low down coward!" The curly browed man growled angrily as he stared blindly into the darkness.

"You're the real coward around here." Ace said in Luffy's scratchy voice and moved away from Sanji in the opposite direction of his true target. He had to hold in his laughter as Sanji easily followed him. "Come on, you fraidy-cat. I'll beat you up for sure!"

Sanji thundered into the underbrush chasing his dark haired rival through the night. "Where are you? Trying to ambush me, like the scoundrel you are?"

Ace chuckled to himself. This was almost as much fun as if he came up with it on his own. "Follow my voice; this isn't a good place to fight." The blonde rushed after him in a blind anger. He no longer cared in which direction they went.

Moments later the bushes rustled and Luffy stumbled back through the area. Somehow he'd gotten himself turned around in the dark and gone in a circle. _'How am I ever supposed to catch up with that blonde jerk in this mess of darkness?'_ The raven haired man stopped in his tracks and stared hard into the surrounding trees, hoping for a sign from Sanji. "He is always ahead of me, daring me to follow, but he magically disappears when I reach the spot his voice is coming from. That big-mouth is quicker on foot than I thought. Now I'm lost out here in the forest." Luffy plopped down on the ground with a huff. He leaned back against one of the large trees, with his hands behind his head, closed his eyes and yawned. "I guess I'll rest here until morning, as soon as the sun comes up I'll find Sanji, and then settle this for good."

Not a minute later, with Luffy snoozing only a few yards away, Ace bounded into sight. "Shishishi." He laughed exactly like Luffy and jumped into the trees. "Hey, you spineless wimp, why aren't you following? Have you given up already?"

Sanji followed more slowly. "Wait for me if you're not too scared. Instead of a man, you're like a little child, and afraid to face me. Where are you, coward?" The night events were catching up to him and he showed the weariness of running around the forest all night. _'Even if I do catch up to him, there's no way I'd be in condition to fight seriously.'_

The jokester knew his prey was at his limit. With just a bit more goading he should collapse. Just out of sight he called to the blonde Athenian. "I'm over here. Follow me if you're not afraid to face me squarely."

Sighing wearily, the young mortal stumbled past the nearest line of trees and unknowingly past his dozing rival, and then sat heavily in the dirt. He ran a hand through his hair. There was no telling where that idiot was and Sanji didn't feel like chasing him anymore. He gave a look around the area but all he saw was shadows. "Yeah right, you're just trying to taunt me again. I'm not going to fall for that anymore." He called out into the night, so Luffy could hear from wherever he was hiding. "Trust me, you'll pay for this cat and mouse game when I get my hands on you. However, I think I'll wait till the morning so I can see your expression clearly. Go wherever you want but watch your back 'cause I'll be looking for you when daylight comes." He lay down under the canopy of trees and quickly fell asleep.

All was quiet for a few long moments as Ace waited for the inevitable. All the noise those two humans were making were sure to call their friends. Sure enough, out of the shadows, the blue haired Athenian woman came stumbling.

"This has been such a long and exhausting night. I thought I heard Sanji and Luffy nearby, they may be uncouth rouges with their treatment of me, but I don't want to stay alone in this creepy forest anymore." Vivi sat on the ground, no longer caring if her dress stained with dirt. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in her own soft bed and never set foot in this forest again. "I so wish the sun would come to the Earth early so that I could find my way back to Athens, away from these crazy people. Maybe if I can fall asleep here then when I wake the morning will greet me with a better day."

Ace watched the gentle lady pat out a thick clump of clover under the large tree and lay down. Her expression was sad as she fell into an exhausted sleep and he was almost sorry this had happened to her. Almost. The freckled fairy messenger cocked his head to the side. "One, two, three," he counted off on his fingers. "But, where's the fourth? We need two of a kind to make a pair."

"I've never been so tired and... and angry."

"Ah, there she is," Ace grinned. "Cupid really is so bad to make these women go love-crazy like this." He slid back across the line of trees to where the dark haired young man lay and from where the irate voice was coming from. He immediately spied Nami fighting her way through a bramble patch.

Nami staggered to a halt, her form shivering slightly in the damp, dewy air. The orange haired woman glanced around the apparently deserted forest and sighed. There was no sign of Luffy or anyone. She knew if only she could get her lover on his own, he would be able to see sense, and things could go back to normal. Nami wearily sat down where she was. It didn't really matter since one patch of dirt was as hard as the next. "I can't go any farther," she moaned. "I don't think I can hold myself up for another second. I think I'll sleep here until it's light enough to find my way. If those two idiots do fight, I hope Luffy remains safe."

The frustrated beauty from Athens lay down in the dirt, using her arm for a pillow, and at last fell asleep. None of the quartet was aware of the fifth presence that was so nearby. "Sleep well, fair lady." Ace said quietly with a gesture toward Nami. He walked over to the napping Luffy, without the need to hide himself anymore, and pulled the flower from his pocket. "I'll cure your snoozing lover with this medicine from the Fairy King. The next time you open your eyes everything will be normal. You'll be truly happy to see the woman you once loved." Ace bent down and rubbed some of the juice from the flower petals on Luffy's eyelids, the Athenian man twitched in his sleep but soon settled again.

With his job done and his wrongs soon to be righted Ace crept silently away from the slumbering pairs of lovers. Sanji and Vivi, Luffy and Nami, would wake as the dawn broke and this night would seem as nothing but an illusion of the darkness.

X

Zoro stood in the Queen's glade, smirking silently at the sight of his royal beauty at the side of an ass. The sun would rise soon and though he was no goblin, who fled the light, he wanted his work done for the night. "Welcome back, Ace. Do you see this sweet sight?" He spoke softly so as to not disturb the sleep of the pair.

On cue the underbrush parted to revel the freckled fairy messenger, returned from repairing the damage he had caused elsewhere in the forest, at least for that night. "Yes, my king, but when are you to return Queen Robin to normal? Surely you don't mean for her to remain in this state of hopeless infatuation."

"Of course not," the Fairy King scoffed lightly, "I'm actually starting to pity her for being so pathetically in love with such an ugly creature. I ran into her a while ago at the edge of the forest. Robin was actually searching for sweet presents for the poor idiot. Can you believe that?" Zoro chuckled, letting his eyes rove from Robin to Ace and back again. There was a distinct glimmer of amusement lighting his dark eyes. "I asked her for the boy once more and she said yes right away. She didn't care as much this time. Already a fairy has been sent to bring him to the royal castle. Now that have what I want, and a good laugh to go along with it, I'll undo the spell that makes the queen's vision so incredibly wrong."

Pulling out the half of his own flower Zoro motioned Ace closer with a sweep of his hand. The fairy messenger stepped forward, ready to receive his king's new instructions.

"While I restore the queen to her rightful state of mind, Ace, I want you to remove the ass's head from this poor mortal. I believe he's suffered enough under your trickery. When he wakes up at the same time as the others, they may all go back to Athens. For them, the events of this night will only be as real as a very unpleasant dream, but first I'll release Robin." Zoro kneeled next to the ebony haired beauty. He took a moment to savor the moment of triumph as he gazed into his queen's sleeping face and then smoothed the flower juice over her closed lids. "Be like you used to be and see like you used to see. This flower bud belongs to Diana, the goddess of pure Virginity, and it has the power to undo the effects of Cupid's flower. Now is the time to wake up, my lovely Queen."

With a gentle flutter, like butterfly's wings, the crystal blue eyes of the Fairy Queen opened to see her husband hovering above her. "Zoro? I've had the strangest dream! I dreamt I was in love with an ass of all things."

Zoro chuckled and shifted his eyes to the side, where the unfortunate poet slept peacefully. "Your boyfriend is sleeping next to you."

Robin reluctantly glanced to the side, following Zoro's gaze, and winced at finding her bedmate with the head of an ass. The queen tried not to visibly cringe when she realized her dream was actually true. Things were fuzzy in her mind and she didn't remember everything that had brought her to this point. "What? How did this happen? Oh, I don't even want to look at him now."

The wild Fairy King placed a finger over the luscious lips of his beautiful wife. "Quietly, my dear." Zoro turned to Ace with a motion of his head. "Ace, go ahead and put this man right. Your fun has been had with him."

"It is no more said than done, my lord." With a satisfied smirk the freckled messenger nodded. With a wave of his hand the gray donkey hair receded and curly black hair replaced it. The long snout drew back into the man's face and the long ears shrank.

The green haired king bowed his head slightly in the queen's direction and offered his hand. "Take my hand, my Queen. Now that you and I are together again, we can dance for the Duke on his wedding night, and bless his marriage. These four lovers will be married alongside him and they'll all be in high spirits." Robin reached out to gently grasp the strong fingers of Zoro and allowed him to pull her up.

"Listen to that, my husband, the lark is singing his song to greet the morning." The Fairy Queen spoke softly as she rested her head on the shoulder of her wild king. "Daylight is arriving." She could feel his arms circling her waist and sighed happily. The fight they'd been embattled in seemed so long ago, and rather unimportant.

"In that case let's travel silently across the globe to where the moon still reigns in the sky." Zoro smirked, hugging the dark haired woman close to his side. He began to lead her away from the dozing lovers and a few paces behind Ace silently followed.

Robin glanced up as she and Zoro entered the moon shaded cover of the deeper woods. Her gentle blue eyes shone with curiosity. "While we walk, you can tell me how I ended up sleeping on the ground with this human last night." She saw Zoro flinch but then his unease disappeared and a teasing smirk replaced it.

"Well now, that's a story." Zoro replied, running a hand through his spiky green hair.

=0=0=

Alright, done! Yea!

Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long to get out. It's so hard to find time to get stuff together.


	12. Wake Up and Celebrate

Geez, what has happened to me over the last few months? I could tell you a story, believe me. But, then we wouldn't have time for the next chapter of my little mash-up here. I will say that we have a brand new (although really early) addition to the One Piece fandom in my house. Getting used to the newest member is consuming a lot of time and energy but I promise I haven't forgotten you guys either. What's that? Yep, I thought as much. On with the story then.

**Chapter Ten  
><strong>**Wake Up and Celebrate**

Birds were chattering in the trees, warming up their morning greeting. Their tittering little songs filled the air as the sun broke over the horizon and cast its first rays onto the dark world. Over the fields came the thudding of hooves as a gathering of horseback riders appeared along the forest edge. It was indeed Shanks, the Athenian duke, and his beautiful bride to be. A few strides behind were the usual court insiders, all out for an early morning hunt. The red haired royal was dressed more casually than usual and he took a deep relaxing breath of fresh morning air as he slowed his horse. Boa Hancock, the stunning Amazonian princess, pulled her steed alongside her betrothed. She too enjoyed being out of the city as much as Shanks, after all, it was in her blood to be out in the natural world.

Shanks turned on the back of his rowan colored horse and spoke to one of the tag-along riders. "One of you go and find the Hunt Master. Since we're done with the May Day festivities early we can enjoy an exciting hunt and my Princess here can marvel at the musical sound of my hounds as they give chase across the land." One of the servants nodded and turned back to do as ordered. The duke smiled in the warrior princess' direction and straightened himself with distinctive pride "They're the finest hunters, bred from the famous Spartan hounds."

Hancock tossed her head idly, long ebony stands flowing in the breeze. Her golden horse shifted its hooves closer as she pulled the reigns. "Yes, I was with the heroes Cadmus and Hercules once. Their Spartan dogs cornered a bear and I'd never heard such an impressive barking before. The dog's earthy-brown fur was brushed till it shone and their hanging ears touched the dewy ground. The mountains and even the very sky seemed to echo the bays of the hounds. It was such a raucous music to hear." The princess' dark eyes gleamed with the memory of her past adventure. Her horse came up next to the duke's own and she smiled in anticipation of witnessing the splendid hunting dogs again.

"Not a person in the land has ever gone hunting with a more skillful or musical pack of dogs. You will have a chance to judge for yourself, my love, once you lay ears on them. Their barks ring out like bells." Shanks boldly gloated as he continued to lead the hunting party at a slower pace so that he could speak more easily. "I'd wager- Wait, what do we have here?" Quite suddenly the horses came upon an unusual sight.

The riders all stopped behind their duke, peering around to see the strange spectacle they had come across. Indeed, the gathered hunters had stumbled onto four slumbering bodies that had been half hidden in the thin fringe of trees bordering the large forest.

"What the blazes?!" A harsh voice rang out from the gathered riders. A man with a dark moustache moved his horse closer and stared wide-eyed at what greeted him. "It's my daughter, Nami. Why is she sleeping out in the forest like this? That blued haired girl is Vivi, Cobra's only daughter. And also, Luffy and Sanji. What is going on, why are all of them out here?" Genzo stepped up next to Shanks and moved his mouth in wordless confusion. _'I don't understand. I ordered her to stop seeing that boy, and what of Vivi and Sanji?'_

Shanks was as bewildered as the others but it didn't stop him from grinning when he saw the black haired young man snuggled into the side of Genzo's young daughter. And, it seemed that Sanji had found himself in the arms of the blue haired woman. "They probably woke up early to celebrate May Day and found their way here for the celebration. By the way, Genzo, isn't today the deadline for your daughter to tell us her decision to marry Sanji or not?"

The dark haired man frowned but didn't look at Shanks as he answered with a slow nod. "Yes, it is." He dreaded that answer as much as he dreaded the answer for this foolishness.

Chuckling in amusement the red haired duke motioned behind him to one of the huntsman. "You there, blow that horn of yours to wake these young people up." The man holding the bugle nodded and raised the instrument to his lips. A loud, long, call rang through the air. That seemed to do the trick as all four sleeping lovers jumped in alarm. Shanks leaned on the saddle of his horse, drawing the confused youngster's attention. "Good morning, my young friends. Valentine's Day is already long past. Are you lovebirds only starting to pair off now?"

Upon seeing Duke Shanks standing above them Luffy, Sanji, Nami, and Vivi clambered to their knees. All four bowed their heads and refused to look up at the intensely curious expressions of the hunting party. Nami could just see her father, huffing, in the corner of her eye. She felt dazed and somewhat lost. Most of last night was fuzzy but she did remember running away with Luffy.

Sanji risked glancing up into the eyes of the royal. He was disheveled and knew he wasn't presentable. Also, he didn't know exactly what was going on. "Forgive us, my lord, for appearing before you in such a state."

"You four may stand." Shanks told them and leaned back in the saddle, still with that same indulgent grin. The young people rose to their feet and his eyes shifted between the two young men who were seething in his study not very many hours ago. "I know you two are enemies. Has the world really become so gentle and peaceful that people who hate each other so deeply have started to trust each other? So much so that they can sleep beside the other without fear?"

Next to raise his head was Luffy. _'I don't remember the exact reason behind it but I really don't feel angry at Sanji anymore.'_ He looked between Sanji and Shanks with a bewildered look in his wide eyes. "Shanks, I'm not entirely sure what's happened here. I'm still kinda half asleep but I swear I have no idea how I got here. I think… I want to tell you the truth and as far as I can tell I believe this is the truth… I came out here with Nami last night. We were planning to leave Athens, to escape Athenian law and-"

Genzo, barely controlling his anger, had listened to enough. Seething, he urged his horse forward. "Enough! Enough of this! My lord, you've heard it for yourself. There is more than enough evidence. I insist that the law punish him. He was going to run away with my daughter! Sanji," the older man turned his accusing gaze to the blonde young noble who sought his daughter's hand. "Sanji, they were trying to cheat us, and rob you of your wife and me of my right to choose my own son-in-law."

With all attention focused solely on him Sanji faltered for a moment. "Shanks, sir," the young man spoke pleadingly. He was afraid of speaking too freely even though the duke was known for being rather lax in protocol. "My lord, let me explain, the beautiful Vivi told me about those two planning their secret escape last night. I was furious, naturally, and followed them here. The lovely Vivi was so in love with me that she followed along. I couldn't tell you how it happened, but somehow, something made my love for Nami melt away like snow. My past love for this woman now seems like a memory of some simple toy I used to love as a child. Now the only person I love, and want to look at, is Vivi. I was engaged to her before I ever met Nami and now I only want to be with this blue haired beauty. I love her, I long for her, and I will always be true to her." Sanji stopped, out of breath. He lowered his gaze respectfully but stood straight and didn't back down.

The red haired duke nodded agreeably at the rambled explanation. Unlike Luffy, who had little problem with speaking his mind to a person of higher class, Sanji rarely did so. It was a brave thing for the blonde to do in sight of so many nobles. "Well, I say that you four are mighty lucky to have met here. We'll talk more of this later, for now though," he turned to his old friend. "Genzo, I'm overriding your wishes. These two couples will be married along with me and Boa later at the temple. Since the morning is disappearing rapidly we'll give up on the hunt for today. Nami and Luffy, and you, Sanji and Vivi; come back to the city and we three couples will feast and celebrate."

With a final look over his shoulder Shanks turned his steed back the way they'd come. Still giving curious glances, the other riders followed, but Genzo hesitated. He stared hard at his wayward daughter and the man she'd chosen. With a frustrated sigh he, too, whirled his horse around.

Sanji, Vivi, Nami, and Luffy all looked between each other with clearly baffled expressions. Everything was happening so fast it was hard for the dazed group to get a handle on things. "Soo...What just happened? The things that happened last night seem so hard to remember. Like the far off mountains." The blonde turned his blue eyes to Vivi but she was just as confused. Luffy and Nami fared no better.

"Yeah, it's the same for me," Nami agreed. "It's all out of focus."

Vivi nodded vaguely, her gray eyes on the retreating backs of the hunting party. "Me too, I won Sanji so easily. Like a precious diamond I found lying on the ground that someone could just come along and claim it was theirs." She looked to the others but they seemed to feel the same.

Running a hand through his unruly black hair, made even messier with the night out in the forest, Luffy stared at Shanks' back as his friend rode away. He was surprised that Shanks would use his power to override Nami's father. The duke had the power to do so but it could cost his friendship with Genzo. Luffy looked to his right to see Nami with wide eyes. "Maybe we're all still sleeping. Are we sure everyone is awake? Do you remember Shanks being here, are we supposed to follow him?" He asked the group, Nami turned and blinked, clearing the daze from her expression.

The orange haired girl nodded, stunned, she couldn't believe what just happened. Her father's decision had been overruled and she was free to marry Luffy. "You're right," Nami murmured, "Shanks was here. So was my father."

Sanji lowered his eyes to Vivi and then Nami. "Yes, and we were told to go to the temple."

Luffy grinned excitedly. "Well, it seems we really are all awake. Let's get back into town and we can tell each other what we remember about last night." The young man started off down the line of the forest, dragging an amused Nami behind him.

"To tell the truth, I'm curious about that myself." Vivi added with a thoughtful frown. She followed the pair and Sanji was a step behind her.

XxXx

Not too far off, but in a clump of trees so thick he wasn't visible, Ussop opened his eyes. The young poet was blearily unaware of what was transpiring so near to him. "Tell me when my cue comes so I can say my line. My next cue is 'Most handsome Pyramus.'" In a daze the long-nosed young man sat up and looked lazily around the surrounding trees. "Hey, Brook? Chopper? Colby? Franky?" He called to his missing friends.

Silence met his calls, even the group of nobles and lovers had moved out of earshot.

"Hey! Anyone there? I can't believe they left me out here." The playwright stood up and dusted himself off. For some reason he was covered in grass and leaves, as if he'd been rolling around on the ground all night. He looked left and right. _'I feel like someone should be here with me. Maybe a beautiful woman or some magical being.'_ He shook his head and rubbed his long nose. "What a weird dream I just had. It can't even be described. You'd have to be an ass if you even tried explaining it. I thought I was… but, no. No one could even try to describe what I thought I had. They'd be an idiot. I'm sure no one has ever heard, or tasted, or seen, or felt what my dream was like."

Ussop suddenly plopped his fist in his palm as an idea struck. "I know! I'll get Brook to write up a ballad concerning this dream of mine. And I'll sing it for the Duke during the intermission of some play. Or maybe when the heroine dies." He continued to mumble and mutter as he stumbled through the trees. In the early morning sunshine he got his bearings and headed back toward the city.

The Athens market square was as busy as ever the morning of the duke's wedding. In the usual corner stood the usual group of slackers and wanna-be actors. A tall, boney, man weaved his way through the throng of people to reach his friends. When he arrived Brook looked around and sighed. "Has anyone visited Ussop's house yet? Has he made it home?"

Hatchi, seated on a barrel by the wall, shook his head. "Nyu, I was there earlier. It was empty. He's probably been kidnapped by robbers or something." The large man sighed in defeat. He surely knew something bad had happened to his friend out there in the woods. _'I shouldn't have left him but it was so scary.'_

"If he doesn't show up then the play is ruined. We can't do it without him, can we?" Colby sounded panicked as he addressed the others.

"It would definitely be impossible." Brook agreed sadly with a shake of his head, he looked down at the younger man with regret in his eyes. "He's the only one in Athens who can play Pyramus."

Nodding slowly Chopper added his agreement to the rest. "I agree, Ussop is the smartest working man in Athens. And the best looking too." He was only repeating what the curly haired playwright had told him countless times but it sounded like he really believed it.

Quite suddenly there was a parting of the crowd as the huge form of Franky ran up to the loitering group of workers. He was panting and had clearly come with important news. "The Duke has left the temple. Two or three more lords and ladies have been married also. If we'd been able to put on our play, we would have really made it. Still no sign of Ussop?"

"No, there's nothing," Chopper answered with bowed head. The others all sighed despairingly.

On the far side of the marketplace, through the throng of crowd, a surprisingly familiar long-nosed man appeared. With a grand wave Ussop made his way toward his comrades, unaware of their worry. "Where are those guys? Where are my pals?" He called to them. Everyone whirled around at the sound of his voice.

Brook nearly dropped his cane at the sight. "Ussop! Oh, how wonderful to see you. What a relief." The older gentleman bowed his head with a smile.

Ussop laughed upon reaching the usual corner his fellow workers occupied. He clapped a hand to Franky's solid shoulder. "Hey guys, haha, do I have some amazing things to tell you. You won't believe it. But don't ask me to tell you. I swear by this long nose of mine that I won't tell you anything." He paused and grinned like a madman until he couldn't hold it in anymore. "Ok, fine, you've convinced me. I'll tell you everything as it happened."

"Yeah, please tell us, Ussop." Colby pleaded excitedly. He was really happy to see his good friend back from the woods.

With a loud laugh Ussop merely shook his head. "Nope, you won't get a word out of me now. All I will say is that the duke has had dinner already. Now it's time to get your costumes together." A twinkle lit in his eyes as the poet turned to the rest of his group and waved them closer. "Meet me at the palace as soon as possible. Look over your lines again. Our play's going to be performed for the duke, I can feel it! No one eat any onion or garlic on the way there. If we have sweet smelling breath, I'm sure they'll all say, 'this is such a sweet play.' Everyone get busy now."

Everyone nodded, their faith renewed, and scattered to their different homes. Hatchi and Franky left with a few uplifting pats on the back to welcome their friend home from his overnight stay in the woods. Colby and Chopper blended into the crowd and disappeared quickly, easily excited about their golden opportunity.

XxXx

Later on that very afternoon, after the ceremony at the temple, a crowd of Athenian nobles and other peoples of importance flowed into the palace grounds. The lavish landscape was richly decorated for the occasion. After all, it wasn't everyday Duke Shanks wed a beauty such as Boa Hancock. The palace banquet hall was slowly filling up; this was where the wedding reception was to be held, with fine foods, drink, and entertainment.

A ruckus stirred at the front of the hall and the crowd parted for the royal newly-weds. Dressed up in the very finest cloths Athens had to offer the duke and brand new duchess walked through the doors in grand style.

In between the cordial greetings of random courtiers Hancock turned to her husband. "You know, those four lovers are saying some very strange things, Shanks. It has me wondering." She said in a low voice, so that no one else would hear.

"Yeah, very strange indeed," the red haired duke agreed. "Honestly, it sounds completely made up to me. In my experiences those old legends and fairy tales are just that. Lunatics as well as storytellers are all ruled by their overactive imaginations. Some people think they see devils and monsters everywhere they go." Shanks paused to shake the hand of a visiting lord and speak to him before moving on down the line of well-wishers. "Lovers are just as crazy. Poets are always looking around and confusing the most normal, mundane things, with some fantastic other world. They describe things in their writing that simply don't exist."

Hancock smiled graciously in the direction of a group of young noble ladies but continued her quiet conversation. "But, the story that these lovers are telling, and the fact that they all saw and heard exactly the same things make me think there's more going on here than some made up fantasy. Their story is bizarre and astonishing, but it's solid and consistent." She turned in time to see Shanks shrug carefully. He still wasn't prepared to admit the possibility.

There was another round of happy noise at the entrance to the hall and four young people appeared through the throng. Nami and Vivi were dressed in traditional wedding dresses of the Athenian nobility. They laughed and smiled and accepted congratulations from people already in the hall; arm in arm with Luffy and Sanji. The young men walked at their new wives' sides in the finest of their traditional garb and with the biggest smiles in the room.

Shanks turned to watch the young, newly joined, couples. He smiled at their happiness, especially Luffy. After all, he was always close to the boy, and wanted him to have all he wanted. It looked like he was well on his way too. "Anyway, here comes those four lovers now." He motioned to Boa and the Duke and Duchess waited for the group to catch up with them. "I wish you happiness, my young friends, to last the rest of your days. I hope the future brings you both joy and fulfillment." Shanks greeted as they arrived at the front of the hall.

Luffy's smile widened upon greeting his friend after the ceremony and sharing the same status as a newly-wed. In a room full of people he didn't forget his manners though. Luffy bowed deeply. "Thank you, my lord. And even more happy times to you." Sanji bowed to the royals, while Vivi and Nami curtsied politely.

"Well now, what kind of entertainment do we have to fill the time between dinner and bedtime? Where is the entertainment director?" Shanks called into the crowd as everyone began to break up around the three couples. Almost at once the tall white haired man stepped out of the milling nobles and was at his duke's side in an instant. "What have you prepared for tonight? Come on, don't keep us waiting, Igaram. How can we have a celebration without entertainment?" He motioned joyfully around the group to indicate everyone else was waiting too.

The dignified director bowed in acknowledgement and pulled a long paper out of his coat pocket. "Here's a list of all the acts that have been prepared for tonight." He handed it over to Shanks and the red haired duke casually looked his choices over.

"Hmm, 'The battle between Hercules and the Centaurs', to be sung by an Athenian eunuch and accompanied by a harp. No, we won't see that one. I've already told that story to Boa earlier. Let's see, what else? 'The riot of the drunk, Bacchanals, who ripped the singer Orpheus to shreds.' That's an old show, I saw it the time I came back from my long voyage. Moving on. 'The nine muses mourning the death of learning and scholarship.' That's a sharp, critical, piece of satire and not quite suited for a wedding party. This last one here. 'A tedious, short, drama about young Pyramus and his love of Thisbe. A sad and tragic comedy.'"

Shanks paused, chuckled, and looked curiously at the stately man before him. Igaram looked decidedly nervous about the sure questions his duke would ask. "A sad comedy? Short and tedious? That's like hot ice. How can this, so called drama, be so many contradictory things?"

Shifting about for an acceptable answer Igaram cleared his throat in his own unusual way. "MaMaMa, well, Lord Shanks; it is a play about ten words long, which is the shortest play I've ever heard of. But, in my opinion, it's about ten words too long. That's why it's tedious. In the entire play, not one word is well-written, and not one of the actors is right for his part. It's tragic because Pryamus kills himself. I have to admit that when I saw his suicide during rehearsal, I had tears in my eye- but they were tears of laughter." The director accepted the entertainment list back from Shanks. After pocketing it he shook his head.

Shanks thought for a moment and turned back to Igaram. "Who are these actors, who attend this contradictory play?"

"They are simple workmen from Athens and surely they have not spent too much time thinking. Now they've worn out their weakened minds to put on this play for your wedding." Igaram explained hastily.

A grin appeared on the face of the laid-back duke. "Well, let's see it then."

"No, my lord. Ma, ma." Igaram protested while trying to clear his throat at the same time. "This play isn't right for you. I've seen the whole thing, and it's completely worthless, unless you think their bad acting and misremembered lines are funny."

For the first time that day a frown graced the features of Duke Shanks and he looked sharply at Igaram, his director of entertainment. "I said we will watch this play." In an instant he smiled again and slapped Igaram on the shoulder. "Nothing can really be bad when it's created by simple people who try hard. Come, bring them in." Motioning to Boa, Nami, and Vivi he stepped aside to allow them to sit. "Please, ladies, take your places." Following the cue of the Duke and Duchess the rest of the wedding party took its places at the front of the stage.

Reluctantly the dignified director nodded and backed away to retrieve Ussop's group of workmen-players. "As you wish it, Lord Shanks."

The Amazonian princess and new Athenian duchess watched Igaram disappear and turned to Shanks with a confused frown. "Are you sure you want to watch these poor people being overburdened and looking bad when they are trying to do something good for us?" Boa Hancock sounded very unsure about dragging the struggling group of poor players out to make fools of themselves.

Shanks merely shook his head with an understanding smile. "I don't think we'll see anything like that tonight."

"He just said that they're no good at acting, Shanks." Boa argued softly.

The red haired man leaned over to his new wife and stroked her arm gently to calm her and show he knew what he was doing. "Then we're even kinder people for thanking them for something that they're not good at. We'll entertain ourselves by accepting their mistakes." Shanks explained patiently to her and still kept his voice low, so that the others wouldn't be able to hear how the players coming up were doubted. "When poor, dutiful, people can't do certain things well, generous people can consider the effort they put into it rather than the effect that they produce. In my travels great scholars have come up to me, meaning to greet me with well-rehearsed speeches, and I've seen them stutter up and botch their lines in nervousness. Then they will break off at the end without even welcoming me. Trust me, I figured out that they were indeed trying to welcome me even in their silence. That message can be as clear from someone who is modest and nervously dutiful as it is from someone who is loudly audacious and eloquent. Therefore, love and tongue-tied simplicity can say the most even when they're saying the least."

At the end of his explanation Shanks straightened up again, in time to see Igaram come forward. He nodded to Boa reassuringly and waved the man onward.

"My lord, the person who is going to deliver the prologue is ready to go on." The white haired director informed the duke with a wince. He, of course, had seen how bad things were about to get. If things went as wrong as they had been in rehearsals the night would be ruined. As director, he would be blamed.

Shanks nodded happily and relaxed back in his chair. Waving his hand the cue was set to begin. "Good, let's get started. We're ready."

=0=0=

So the long awaited play has begun. Will it really be as bad as Igaram says? I don't know, we'll have to go to the next chapter to find out.


	13. The Player's End

Second to last chapter here. I'm working on the very last chapter as we speak. I have to say I'm looking forward to finishing this and bringing a sense of completion to a favorite project of mine. Not much else to this one, except, enjoy.

Dis: Nothing belongs to me unless you count the crazy idea to merge One Piece and Shakespeare

**Chapter Eleven  
><strong>**The Player's End**

Brook peeked out from behind the curtain. The skinny man gulped at the sight of the duke and new duchess right in the front row. He looked around him at his fellow workmen, all looking just as nervous as himself. The pale gentleman took a deep breath to calm his nerves and then stepped around the fluttering curtain to begin the play.

"If we happen to offend you, it's because we want to. We don't want you to think we came here to offend you, except that we want to offend you with our good intentions." Brook stuttered and backtracked as he started the introduction to the great play the group had worked on. "Our plan to show off our little bit of talent will wind up getting us executed. Please keep in mind we're only here out of spite. We don't come here with the intention of making you happy. We're absolutely not here to delight you. The actors are ready to come out and make you sorry. By watching their show, you'll find out everything you're likely to know." With a lot of difficulty Brook finally and gratefully finished his prologue. He nearly collapsed with relief as he hurried to the side stage.

Of course what the poor man had intended to say was something along the lines of this: _"If we happen to offend you, we hope you know that we didn't come here intending to offend you, but with the good intention of showing off our little bit of skill. That's all we want to do. Please keep in mind that we came here only to please you. Our true intention is to delight you. We didn't come here to make you sorry. The actors are ready."_ However, Brook was so nervous his words got easily jumbled and the mess of a prologue was the result.

In the crowd Shanks couldn't help but chuckle, despite adamant defense of his idea the players deserved a chance. "This guy doesn't pay much attention to punctuation, does he?"

Luffy leaned back and laughed. "He rode that prologue like a wild horse. He didn't know how to control or stop it. The moral of the story should be that it isn't enough to speak, but to speak well."

"Like you know anything about that," joked Sanji. Luffy stuck his tongue out in the blonde's direction.

"What a messy beginning." Boa Hancock complained with a wave of her hand. "It went on and on and his words were completely tangled. Well, who's next coming on stage?" She quieted as a few more people bumbled in front of them.

Ussop, Chopper, Hatchi, Colby, and Franky stumbled onto the stage in their costumes. By the shaking knees they were terrified of the duke and his nobles that gazed up at them in interest. Colby had to lean onto Hatchi at one point because his legs just wouldn't hold him. Chopper gulped heavily, his mouth drying out.

Brook stepped to the head of the line and readied himself for the introductions of his friends. "My dear ladies. And, you, gentlemen. Perhaps you are wondering what is going on. Well, you will have to keep wondering until the truth makes itself clear. This man is Pyramus and the beautiful lady there is his lover, Thisbe." He motioned to both Ussop and Chopper in turn. The poor young boy turned red in embarrassment, he hated being dressed as the girl.

"The man with the stone and cement is portraying Wall. The horrible divide that keeps these two lovers apart. However, they are content to whisper through the small chink in Wall's side. Those poor souls." Brook pointed to Colby who was plastered in sticky gray gunk. The pink haired fellow merely sighed, relieved that he had no lines in this action.

"This man with the lantern and dog and brush is playing Moonshine. Because, if you want to know, the lovers were not ashamed to meet each other by moonlight in order to carry on their courtship." Hatchi and the dog, Pappagug, who followed him everywhere were up next. The mutt barked loudly and Hatchi quickly shushed him.

Next was the fuzzy clothed Franky who had wrapped himself up in thick yellow blankets as a lion's skin. "This grisly beast, which is called "Lion", scared away the faithful Thisbe from the meeting place at night." Brook carried on with Lion's explanation, just as they'd planned in the forest. The last thing he and the others wanted was to scare the beautiful ladies of the court. "As young Thisbe runs from this fearsome Lion, she dropped her cloak, which the horrible beast stained with his bloody mouth. Soon, Pryramus comes along, a tall and handsome man, and finds his Thisbe's bloody cloak. He thinks her dead. At this point, he takes his sword, his bloody and blameful blade, and bravely breaks open his broad chest. And Thisbe, hiding in the bushes, then finding her loves lifeless body, takes his dagger and killed herself. For the full story we'll have these players talk more about it, since they're already standing here." Brook stepped aside and gave the stage to his comrades, the narrator's part done with.

In the crowd Shanks tried to hide his laughter behind his hand. He had brought these poor excuses for players out here and it wasn't right he laugh them off the stage before they had barely begun. "I wonder if these men know they've given us the entirety of their little play. Should the lion talk too?" He half whispered to Luffy, sitting on his opposite side.

Luffy grinned, snickered, and looked up with his dark eyes gleaming. "That would be so cool. If these poor asses can speak, why not a lion after all?"

The group dispersed to the area behind the curtain to await their cues to be onstage, though once or twice twitching eyes could be seen peering nervously out. The only one left was Wall, portrayed by Colby.

Stepping forward, nervously shaking, Colby began to explain his part in the play. "At this point I, Colby, play a wall. But not just any wall." The young man puffed himself up in pretend importance. "I want you to understand that I'm pretending to be the kind of wall that has a little hole in it. The lovers Pyramus and Thisbe often whisper very secretly through that hole. This clay, this cement, and this stone that I'm carrying around show to you that I'm that very wall." He then held up his index and middle finger in a V shape and showed it to the crowd in front of the stage. "And this crack, one side and the other, is through which the hidden lovers will be whispering." The pink haired wall stopped speaking and stepped back in place.

"For a wall made of stone and cement he speaks very well," Vivi giggled behind her hand. Sanji chuckled beside her.

"It's the smartest barrier I've ever heard," agreed Nami, on her other side. "Oh, wait, here comes the brave Pyramus."

Ussop made his entrance with a grand flourish, stepping out from the curtain with a noble wave of his hand. "Oh, grim looking night! Oh, night that is so black in color!" The long-nosed poet began in a loud, melodramatic, voice. "Oh, night, which is always there when it's not day! Oh night! So sad, sad, sad. I'm afraid my Thisbe has forgotten her promise." He turned and pointed at Colby with an accusing finger. "And you, oh Wall. You stand between her father's property and mine. Show me that hole in your side so that I may peek through to my love."

Colby obediently held out his hand and made the sign for the hole he had showed earlier. _'This has to be the most useless position for an actor. Couldn't we have just built a fake wall?'_ He sighed to himself.

"You're such a polite wall, thank you." Ussop grinned and pressed his eye against the pink haired wall's outstretched hand. Then, not seeing Thisbe on the other side, he scowled and pulled away. "But, what's this I see? I don't see any Thisbe on the other side. Oh, wicked Wall, through which I don't see any happiness. Damn your stones for disappointing me like this!" He shook his fist in Colby's direction as he scolded his friend.

"You'd think since Wall could talk, it would curse back at him." The red-haired duke commented to his group of newly-weds. The younger lovers had to stifle laughter.

Hearing the comment made by Duke Shanks, Ussop brazenly stepped out of character to correct the perceived misconception. He ignored Colby's panicked expression and Brook's hissed directions from behind the curtain and moved to the front of the stage. "No, actually, sir. He shouldn't say anything. It's not his turn to speak. 'Disappointing me like this' is Thisbe's cue. She's supposed to enter now and I'll see her through the wall. You'll see, it'll happen exactly like I say." The poet-workman went back to his position by Wall and waited for the nearly terrified Chopper to shuffle from backstage. "As I said, here she comes now."

The poor brown haired young player didn't know whether to feel scared of acting for the group in front of him or the fact that his friend would get them all in trouble if he kept running his mouth. He slowly scooted out to his spot on the stage, all the while keeping one eye on the seated nobles. In a high squeaky voice to imitate a girl Chopper stuttered out his beginning lines. "Oh Wall, you've often heard me complaining because you keep me separated from my handsome Pyramus! My soft lips have often kissed the bricks of your unwavering surface." The boy blushed dark red at the words he was forced to say.

Getting back to the play Ussop placed a hand to his ear as if he heard a sound on the other side of Colby. "I see a voice! I'll go to the hole to see if I can hear my Thisbe's face." He leaned quickly over to the hole made by his friend's fingers and peered through them. Colby rolled his eyes at Ussop's botched lines. The curly haired player put his mouth against the hole and spoke through to Chopper. "Thisbe, is that you?"

"Yes, it is I. You are my love, I think." Chopper answered in his high girly voice.

Ussop straightened up proudly, forgetting to speak through the hole in the wall. "I'm your love, no matter what you think. And, I'm still faithful to you, just like the famous Limander." Sweatdropping, he hesitated. "Er, I mean to say Leander, that is."

"And I'll be as faithful to you as Helen of Troy, until the day I die." Chopper twittered while fluffing up his skirt.

"But, it wasn't Leander who loved Helen, and she wasn't at all what I'd call loyal." Nami commented quietly.

Luffy's disruptive laughter at the obvious mix up was cut short as Nami slapped a hand over his mouth. "Be quiet, Luffy." She shushed him like a mother would her child. "It's rude to laugh in mockery at people less than ourselves."

Deaf to what was being whispered off stage, Ussop and Chopper continued their lines in obliviousness. "Not even Shafalus was as faithful to his lover, Procrus, as I am to you."

Chopper agreed in a forced girlish voice. "Me too. I'm as faithful as Shafalus to Procrus."

"I think they both mean to say 'Cephalus and Procris', who were lovers." Lips twitching, Sanji commented quietly to Vivi.

Shanks, who overheard the two conversations, broke out into barely restrained chuckles. Catching Boa's glare, however, the red haired duke quickly started to cough behind his fist until the laughter died away. "Well, they certainly do need to brush up on their history, don't they?" He shot a nervous grin at his new wife.

On stage the play went onward. Ussop, in the false throes of passion, pressed up against Colby. "Oh, kiss me through the hole in this nasty wall." The wall grimaced at the thought.

Chopper sighed wistfully and leaned into Wall's other side. The gray plastered worker groaned but couldn't say anything, lest he disrupt the play. "But I'm only kissing the chink in the wall, not your lips at all."

"Then, will you meet me right away at Ninny's grave?" Ussop asked.

"Neither death nor life will stop me from coming." Chopper answered promptly.

Both pretend lovers grasped hands, momentarily forgetting that a wall was supposed to separate them, and then turned away to exit different sides of the stage. With Pryamus and Thisbe gone Wall was left alone. Colby lowered his arms and spoke to the audience. "I, Wall, have done my part. Now that I'm finished, Wall can go away." He bowed his head politely and followed Ussop behind the curtain.

"The lovers should have waited for a bit longer. The wall keeping them apart is gone now." Vivi commented, not being able to help a small giggle at this farce of a play.

Shrugging mildly Sanji, who was beside the blue haired beauty, smiled and agreed quietly with her. "What can you do? That's what happens with talking walls."

On the other side of the duke, Hancock sighed, shaking her long silky black hair over her shoulder. "This is by far the silliest thing I've ever seen."

Shanks placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to reassure her. "The best plays are still only illusions, after all. The worst are just as good, if you only use your imagination to fill them in."

Boa's dark eyes pierced into Shanks' bright gaze. With a huff she merely turned her head away. ""If that's really true, then isn't it your imagination that's interesting." She heard her red-headed husband chuckle and pull away again. The Amazon duchess eyed the stage warily as the curtain swayed and two of the men lumbered out. If she remembered the awful introductions from earlier it was Lion and Moonshine that appeared before them.

Hatchi, with Pappagug following closely, came from one side. Franky came from the other. They met in the center with the lion dressed in his yellow cloths. The large man with blue hair sticking out of his blankets turned and posed weirdly for the crowd. "Yo, ladies, whose super gentle hearts make you scared of the smallest fearsome mouse. You might quake and tremble now when the wild lion roars in his most violent rage. You should know that I, Franky the carpenter, am not a fierce lion. Because if that were the case and I showed up here to cause trouble, I'd be taking my life in my hands." Nami, Vivi, and many of the other court ladies laughed and giggled at Lion's bold declaration.

"Ah, what a sensitive animal, and a good conscience." Shanks commented lightly.

"He's definitely the best actor I've seen play a lion," Sanji waved his hand in the direction of the stage and the men on it.

"He's certainly brave as the fox," Luffy said to the others.

"True, and as wise as a goose," Shanks nodded knowingly.

"Oh, that's not true, my lord. I don't believe he's brave enough to be wise." Sanji shook his blonde head in disagreement.

"Or, you could say, he's not wise enough to be brave." Shanks returned with a shrug. "Anyway, he is what he is. Now, let's listen to the moon for a while." The duke motioned to the stage where the players were shuffling to their positions.

Hatchi, with the dog and lantern, stood center stage and faced the royals with an expression of concentration. He held the light aloft and the candle flickered inside. "This here lantern represents the horned moon."

"He should have worn the horns on his head," Sanji muttered with a barely suppressed laugh.

Luffy glanced across the others. "Nah, he's not the crescent moon, so his horns must be invisible. Of course," he commented in a whisper.

Still, Hatchi heard what was said in the front row and he wanted to correct the perceived idea the young men had. "Nya, this lantern represents the moon. I have the role of the Man in the Moon." He told them with a shake of his head.

Cocking his head in mild confusion Luffy looked from the moon lantern to the supposed Man and Dog in the Moon. "Well, that doesn't seem right, does it? Shouldn't the Man in the Moon be in the lantern? That is, if the lantern is the brightly shinning moon. How else do you suppose he could be the Man in the Moon?" Several chuckles could be heard from the nearby court.

Nami turned to the raven haired young man and with a twitch of her lips she forcibly held back her laughter. "There's no way he could go in there, Luffy. The candle would be in the way and besides it would be way too hot." Luffy nodded, accepting the reason Nami gave for the Man in the Moon living outside the moon itself.

On the other side of Duke Shanks the duchess sighed loudly and flipped her hand in boredom. "I'm tired of this moon. I wish he would wax or wane off the stage."

Hatchi frowned and lowered his head in shame. He had heard the comment and felt bad that he was letting his fellows down. At his side the scruffy Dog in the Moon whined.

"It seems he's waning, for now, but out of politeness we'll have to wait and see." Shanks told his wife.

"Go on, Moon, tell us the tales of light which shines pale from your silvery beams." Vivi encouraged from the front row. She wasn't mean by nature and didn't really like to see these workmen so discouraged.

The large fisherman shrugged his shoulders and looked up. "That's really all I wanted to tell you," he seemed a little pleased with the support of the lady. "The lantern here is the moon. I'm the Man in the Moon and Pappagug is my dog."

"Then the dog should be in the lantern too because he's in the moon also it seems." Luffy whispered near the duke's ear and Shanks couldn't help but laugh. Immediately the red haired royal was pulled back by the ear, Boa's fingers gripping tightly. Luffy, likewise, was smacked on the head by Nami. Both men quieted, having been properly reprimanded.

Up on stage Chopper tripped over his skirts passing the curtains and nearly pulled the heavy cloth down on top of himself. However, he was saved by Moonshine, who caught him just in time. Flustered and embarrassed Chopper stepped carefully to the center of the platform. "This is old Ninny's tomb, but where is my love?" He forgot to speak in his girlish voice, so the young lover Thisbe had a more boyish tone than usual. The young man turned bright red and knew he had messed up when several giggles were heard from the audience.

From behind a small thorn bush, which was barely big enough to hide his face, Franky jumped out at the pretty Thisbe. "Roar!" The blue haired lion sounded a ferocious noise. Chopper let out a high pitched squeal, threw his cloak to the ground, and ran off stage.

"That was some good roaring, Lion," Luffy whooped.

"Very nice running, Thisbe." Shanks called out, grinning.

"Good shinning, Moon. Really, the Moon does very well tonight," Sanji applauded.

Really getting into the role now that the crowd was responding, Franky pounced on the discarded cloak. He took it up and tossed it around; he even bit it. He heard the duke call out to him. "That's good, Lion! Shake it around like a cat with a mouse." A little too enthusiastically Franky ripped the cloth and shook it around his head.

At that moment Ussop strolled out from behind the curtain and the lion scurried away at his arrival. "Only now does the brave Pyramus show up," he heard Sanji add from the audience. The long-nosed player turned to face Hatchi and the moonshine with a longing gaze. He stood tall and, raising a hand, he addressed the grand moon itself. "Sweet Moon, I thank you for your sunny beams. I thank you, Moon, for shining now so bright. By the light of your gracious, golden, glittering gleams, I hope to see my faithful Thisbe." Pyramus paused for dramatic effect and then turned to spot Thisbe's torn cloak. With a gasp he threw himself to the ground and took up the shredded cloth. "No! This can't be! But, look, what a terrible tragedy here! Eyes do you see? How can it be? Her cloak stained with blood! Come terrible Furies and descend on whoever has hurt my sweet love! Oh, what fate is this, come and cut the thread of my life. Conclude, crush, and kill!"

Sanji glanced over to his friends with a smirk. "This actor's sad, passionate, lament would be perfect- if one of your good friends happened to die right at the same time."

"Damned if I don't feel sorry for him," Nami shook her head.

"Oh, Mother Nature, why did you create lions? A mean and awful lion has deflavored my darling." Ussop lamented loudly while clutching Thisbe's torn cloak to his chest.

"I'm sure he means devoured," Vivi whispered over to Nami. The orange haired girl nodded back.

Pyramus buried his face in the cloth and wailed to the crowd. "She is- no, no, she was the most beautiful lady who ever lived, or loved, or liked, or looked. Come on, tears, pour over me! Come out sword, and wound my own self in the chest." Ussop took out his sword and placed it over his heart. The wooden tip touched the left part of his chest and he drove it under his arm. The long nosed poet fell to the stage in a dramatic death scene. "And so I'm dying. Here I go. Okay, now I'm dead. My soul has fled to the sky. My tongue shall see no more. It's time for the moon to go away."

At the cue Hatchi took his lantern and led Pappagug off the side of the stage, the scruffy dog followed loyally. "If Moonshine's gone before Thisbe comes back, how will she be able to see in the dark to find her lover dead?" Boa asked with mild contempt.

"She'll still be able to see him by starlight. Here she comes. Her moaning and groaning will end the play." Shanks leaned over and whispered to his bride as Thisbe made her way on stage.

"I don't think a ridiculous Pyramus like that one deserves much moaning. I hope she keeps it short," Boa retorted shortly.

Sanji cocked his head and studied the two lovers on stage for a moment. "You know, I can't decide whether Pyramus or Thisbe is better. God help us if he's a better man. But God help us if she's a better woman also."

Luffy nodded toward the stage where Chopper had been looking around. "Look, she's spotted him with those sweet eyes of hers."

"Are you asleep, my love? What, are you dead?" Thisbe called upon seeing the handsome Pyramus playing his death scene. She flew to his side, managing to not trip on the long skirt, and dropped to her lover's side. "Oh, Pryamus, get up! Speak, speak to me. Can't you talk? Dead. He's dead!" Chopper let out a high-pitched, mournful, wail. He covered his fake tears with his hands and drove Thisbe to a crying fit. The young man continued to weep and cry for the audience's benefit. "Lovers, moan and weep. The cold grave soil must cover your lovely eyes forever. They were as green as clover and so beautiful to look into." The heartbroken player cried sorrowfully, plopping onto Ussop's supposedly bloody chest. "Oh, Fates, come. Come to me with hands as pale as milk. Soak your hands in this blood and gore, since you have cut the thread of his life with your scissors. Come trusty sword. Blade, drench my breast with blood." With a last pathetic cry to the heavens Chopper picked up Pyramus's discarded sword and thrust it toward his own chest. Playing out Thisbe's own death the young man dropped to the ground with a thump and lay still.

Duke Shanks stared up at the stage and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, this leaves Moonshine and Lion left to bury the dead. How lonesome a task," the red-haired royal muttered to his young company. At his side Boa huffed disdainfully.

Luffy nodded in agreement with a knowing expression and arms crossed. "You can't forget loyal old Wall. I'm sure he will help as well."

From the stage Pyramus came back to life. The curly haired player jumped to his feet, ignoring the hiss of disapproval from behind the curtain. "No, my lord, I assure you. The wall that kept their fathers apart has been taken down. Would you like to see the epilogue? Or perhaps a country dance between us?" Ussop didn't want the play to end badly and was reluctant to let it go so easily. He stepped forward, to the edge of the platform, while Chopper lifted his head curiously.

"No," Shanks waved a hand and stood, "it won't be needed. Your play doesn't need to be excused afterward with an epilogue. Never apologize- when the actors are all dead, no one can be blamed. No worries, it's a very good tragedy, very well done." The others in the room all joined the duke as he applauded respectfully.

Brook, Hatchi, Franky, and the rest filed out from behind the curtain to receive their dues. The whole group smiled widely and bowed to the Duke, Duchess, and the young couples with them. Pleased and very proud of themselves the workmen players left the stage and congratulated each other on the very fine work they did.

After a minuet to allow the troupe to enjoy themselves Shanks turned to the room at large and spoke to the gathering. He raised his hands to call attention from everyone. "The clock has chimed midnight. Lovers, it's time to go to bed. I'm afraid we're all going to oversleep in the morning, as late as we've stayed up tonight. If anything, that blatantly stupid play did its job, and helped us kill some time before bed. My young friends, we will continue on with this celebration tomorrow but for now let's go to bed." He looked to Luffy and Sanji for agreement and the young men nodded readily.

Slowly the other nobles drifted out of the hall and to their own accommodations, some to the palace rooms, and some to fine inns of the city. Sanji led Vivi gently by the arm to the room given them by the duke. Luffy, likewise, grabbed onto Nami's hand and practically pulled her out the door. Neither seemed inclined to wait much longer and the girls giggled in giddy happiness. Shanks and Boa were the last ones in the deserted hall. He held her hand gently and kissed the strong yet delicate appendage. Leading his new duchess from the room Shanks was overall pleased with the last few day's outcome.

The empty performance hall was filled with moonlight and shadows. As each played off the other there came a certain sparkle that filled the air. The flowers fairly glowed white in the glittery silver beams of moonshine filtering through the windows. The silence that perforated the air was still, as if the noiseless atmosphere became crystalline. With a flitter of movement, from light to shadow and back, a lithe figure darted to the center of the stage where a beam of moonlight caught him full in his freckled face.

The Fairy King's messenger was afoot in the royal palace.

Ace shifted his dark eyes left, then right, and let a mischievous grin grow across his expression. "Now that the wolf howls at the moon and the stars glow brightest. The embers are casting a dying glow in the fireplace and it is the time of night when graves open wide and release spirits to glide over the graveyard paths." The fun loving jokester shifted and the shadows swallowed him once more. He melted into them and moved through them as if there was no differences between. Appearing on the back of the duke's own chair Ace moved his watchful gaze around once more. "It is this time when we fairies, who run away from the sun just like the goddess of the night follows the dream-like darkness, are getting restless. But, this trickster has been sent here to make sure that not even a mouse disturbs this blessed house."

Out of the deepest shadows came the weighted footsteps of a controlled force. The wild king, Zoro of the Fairies, appeared with some of his rambunctious followers. The moonlit glitter swirled around the gentle feet of grace. Robin, the gracious queen, came with her most loyal.

The untamable King nodded Ace closer and spoke to the gathering of spirits. Now that he and his Queen were reconciled they would all obey him, as their rightful ruler. "Let the dying fire shine a glimmering light throughout the house. I want every elf and fairy to flutter lightly, like a bird on a twig, and to sing and dance their merry song."

"We'll all join hands and sing, blessing this house with our fairy grace." Robin instructed in her quiet manner. She joined her hand with her king's and waved the others away to do as they were bid. Around her the wild followers of the king danced in and out of the soft movements of the queen's fairies. They leapt from the dark recesses and twirled in the shining sparkle of the moon. All to the will of the King and Queen of the Fairies, joined together again, as is right.

"Now, until morning, each fairy should walk through this house. Robin and I will go to the royal marriage bed to bless it, and the children conceived in that bed will always have good luck. Each of these three couples will always be faithful and in love, and their children will be healthy and without illness." Zoro commanded with powerful authority. He looked to each of the dancing, flittering, sprites in turn. His deep gaze resting longer on Ace than any other, the freckled messenger nodded warily. "Go, bless each room in the palace with sweet peace and the blessed owner will always be safe. Run along now and do your duty. Don't play around, and meet us at the dawn." With a wave of his hand the king scattered the dancers to all parts of the house. He led Robin himself to the royal chambers of the duke and duchess. All that was left to the hall was shadows and light and a madly grinning trickster.

=0=0=

So ends the tragic, comedy, tedious play of Pyramus and Thisbe as performed by the Ussop players. And also what seems to be the dreamscape of Puck's creation. For when the dawn breaks where will we find ourselves but back in reality. With a pirate ship, a crew, and a soundly sleeping captain waiting to see what the 'morrow will bring.


	14. Playful Farewells

Oh my gosh, I can't believe it's taken me so long to finish this. The hardest thing was figuring out how to get back to reality and how everyone would react, especially between Luffy and Sanji. Of course, I had to throw in one last appearance by Robin Goodfellow (AKA Puck) too. I hope I did justice to Shakespeare and A Mid-Summer Night's Dream, which is one of my favorites. And I hope ya'll enjoyed reading this mashed up version, which is the reason I wrote it in the first place. Thanks for all your comments and for keeping up with the story through this long process.

**Chapter Twelve  
>Playful Farewells<strong>

The stars above the dark island began to gently snuff out one by one. The deep blue night started to lighten as the pale morning sun peeked itself over the horizon. All was quiet in the shadows of the forest, the birds hadn't woken yet, and even the waves against the ship's hull were muted in the stillness of breaking dawn.

Just below the hanging Jolly Roger was the round topped crow's nest and which inside was the still sleeping pair of pirates, both navigator and captain. Nami groaned, burrowing her face deeper into her pillow, and fighting off the inevitable wakefulness. Early morning light shone beyond her eyelids but it was just so comfortable where she was. She drifted between staying blissfully unaware of the approaching morning and the growing sun pulling at her consciousness. The previous night floated in her mind like a fog mixing with the remnants of an unbelievable dream. '_Yesterday must have been more tiring than I thought. Was that why I had such a weird dream? Was it just exhaustion?'_ Nami wondered sleepily but when her pillow shifted beneath her the sleepy navigator jerked properly awake.

"No, Nami, the duke can wait." Luffy mumbled in his sleep, tightening his hold around her waist.

Said navigator eep'd and lifted her head from Luffy's chest, where she'd unwittingly fallen asleep. "Luffy? The duke...? It couldn't be." Her brown eyes widened in surprise. '_Did Luffy really have the same dream?'_ Nami couldn't be sure but she _was_ sure it was time to wake the captain up before he decided to continue where her dream left off. That would be an awkward situation to explain if they were caught. She blushed. "Luffy...Luffy, wake up. It's morning." Nami tried to wiggle out of the boy's hold but it was futile with Luffy's innate strength.

Feeling the rumbling of her captain's stomach and remembering the dream gave Nami an idea. With a grin she pulled herself up to whisper in the boy's ear. "Luffy, the duke is having a breakfast feast set up in the hall."

Almost instantly Luffy's dark eyes snapped open and he jumped to his feet. "What, a feast?! We better get down there before Sanji and Vivi eat it all." He stopped, looking around for the first time, and Nami could practically see the dream vanishing from his confused mind. "Uh, Nami, what are we doin' here?"

"We fell asleep in the crow's nest last night, don't you remember?" Nami explained, sitting up and stretching on the couch.

Luffy blinked a few times and then nodded slowly. "Oh, yeah. We were up here talkin' bout..." A frown dipped the edges of his mouth as he remembered the circumstances that led to his sharing the crow's nest couch with his navigator. With a minuet shake of his head Luffy seemed to clear his mind again. "Hey, Nami," Luffy turned a grin toward the orange haired girl. "I had a really good dream last night. You were in it, and Zoro, and even Vivi was there. It was good to see her again, ya know."

Nami blinked, studying the boy with a quick glance, and slowly nodded. "Yeah, somehow, I think I do." She met his eyes and smiled. Luffy cocked his head and just accepted that Nami would know what he was talking about. A noise from below made the pair stop and both looked down on deck to see Sanji and Zoro appear out of the boy's room.

With a huge yawn Zoro attached his three blades to his waist and stretched in the doorway. He suspected the crow's nest was still occupied so his morning workout would be done on the rear of the ship. The swordsman looked over his shoulder to see the curly-cook straightening that damn tie of his. _'This is why I hate relationships. Makes everything so damn complicated.'_ Of course it made no never-mind to him whether Nami and Luffy actually were together or not but it sure was a headache when you threw the crap cook in the mix.

"Hey, Moss-head, you gonna move sometime today?" Sanji growled from behind the lump of a swordsman. He would never get breakfast started if the muscle brain wouldn't move.

"Who you callin' Moss-head, Curly-cue?" Zoro growled, whirling to face the annoying chef.

"I'm talking to you, Lettuce-brain." Sanji retorted, following Zoro outside.

"You lookin' for a fight, Eyebrow-prince?!"

"I'll take you on any time, Fairy-bastard!"

Blink...

"What?" The swordsman exclaimed heatedly. He turned red and flexed his fingers around his swords. Sanji looked confused, like he didn't quite know where those words came from. Up in the crow's nest Nami struggled not to laugh. Luffy didn't have that problem.

"Yo, Zoro, did you have a good dream too?" The younger captain called down with a grin.

The arguing men on deck pulled away and looked up. Sanji immediately stuck his hands in his pockets, shifted his eyes away, and headed for the galley. Zoro's scowl turned confused, he shrugged, and continued on to the rear of the ship for his workout. As far as he was concerned a dream was just that, it didn't have any meaning. _'Especially one so weird as that.' _He thought to himself.

Brook stepped out into the morning, fluffing his afro. "Did someone mention 'fairy'? Yohoho, I've been inspired. It was indeed quite a strange night."

"That's an understatement," Nami muttered as she followed Luffy down the ladder from the crow's nest.

Meanwhile, in the Thousand Sunny's kitchen, Sanji was busy getting preparations started for breakfast. _'Let's see, maybe a delicious mikan omelet for Nami. Bread and water for Moss-head. A couple pounds of bacon for Luffy...'_ The cook paused with a batch of eggs half out of the fridge. He hated the thought of losing one of his beautiful ladies. Considering who he was losing to, it just didn't make sense to him. _'Luffy... damned captain. He doesn't deserve someone as special as Nami, however, she does seem happier. Damn, damn-' _The blonde's train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the galley door creaking open. "The food hasn't even started yet, whoever is sneaking in here is wasting their time," Sanji told the intruder without looking up.

"Sanji."

The cook's back went rigid. It was the last person he wanted to see right now; even the lazy swordsman would be preferable. However, he couldn't go on ignoring the problem. Slowly the blonde straightened up and turned to face his captain.

The two men stared each other in the eye; a silent conversation going on without the need of words. Whether Luffy used his Haki or not, Sanji was unable to hold the younger pirate's gaze, and the chef was the first to look away. "You don't deserve her." He said before beginning to crack eggs into the mixing bowl. "She's beautiful and intelligent and deserving of more than a rubber idiot like you. I can't fathom the reasons she would choose you over someone like me but inconceivably, she has. Nami's happy with you. That means I should be content with her decision. I'm not. But, you are what makes her smile and I love seeing her smile."

Luffy didn't even twitch when Sanji looked over his shoulder and held out a long carving knife.

"If that smile disappears because of you... not even rubber powers will be able to help you." The cook let his eyes bore straight into Luffy for a second longer and then he turned away to finish breakfast.

XxXx

From the top of the tallest tree a dark pair of eyes, sparking with humor, watched the patchwork pirate crew lower the sails and pull up their anchor. The late morning sun was peeking in from behind some marshmallow clouds and the sounds on deck reached even this far into the island. It was time for goodbye and the happy trickster was best at memorable farewells.

Puck leaped to his feet, balancing precariously on a swaying twig of a branch. With a giggling laugh that rang though the leaves and danced around the bubbling brooks of the forest the lithe messenger catapulted up into the air. With a twirl and flip the master of fairy pranks landed on the lion head of the departing ship.

Unknown to the grinning fairy, of course, he was lucky he stood invisible on the captain's special seat. The pirate crew that had held his attention since last night went on with their business of departing without notice of him. Which didn't bother the Puck, he did his best work going unnoticed. It seemed, however, that his playing with these interesting mortals was done. Just the final act for the prankster to fulfill. A playful bow at the waist and added with a flourish of his sweeping hand, Puck said his goodbyes. "If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended- that you have but slumbered here, while these visions did appear. And this weak and ideal theme be no more than a dream. If you pardon this, and as I'm an honest Puck, we will make amends. Else the Puck a liar call. So, good journey unto you all."

The fairy trickster giggled happily as he leapt over the water and back to his Lord Oberon's forest. The terrified screams of, "Ghost voices!" from the more fearful on the ship followed the prankster all the way.

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So any final comments or reviews are, as always, appreciated. It keeps me coming back with new stuff. See ya next time.


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